The Rising: A Chloe and Derek fanfic
by were-angel95
Summary: So, this is my version of the Reckoning. What happens when you find everyone against you? New friends, new enemies, new love, new creatures and hidden twists. A total must read. Yes, sucky summary, but hope you like it!
1. Chapter 1

I couldn't sleep.

1st reason: Tori's snores were too loud

2nd: I didn't _ feel _ safe. I spent too many days, feeling danger lurking in every corner. My heart beat fast when Tori tossed in her sleep. I leaped up when I heard the branches outside scrtch the window.

I wished Liz was here. I wonder where she went? Did she pass over? I hope she didn't. I wasn't ready to completely let go of my friend. The more I thought about her, the colder it got. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. A ghost.

"Danger, Chloe, danger.... Not safe here.... don't trust..."

I couldn't see anyone; it was just a faint whisper. Like the reception was blocked. That couldn't be good. The voice was strangely familiar. I tried not to think about it and put my head back down on the pillow.

I dreamt about Mom.

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The gift of necromancy's heredity, passed down…

So I sat there on the cold earth, eyes moving across the page, brain processing nothing. It was probably smart to read about my power, to learn to control them, but it was honestly more boring than I expected. I put the book down next to me, stroking the cover. It was such a beautifully binded book, like it came out of a fairytale. Ironically, my life in the past month had been more of a horror movie.

Most of the books here were about supernaturals, the history, powers etc. Derek seemed pretty interested in the books; Tori and Simon had been to busy bickering all the time to care.

Night was falling at the safe house, the sky turning into a brilliant pink. As welcoming as it all seemed, I didn't feel safe here, and after the 'encounter' with the ghost, it seemed far from safe. Simon and Tori still didn't know. I didn't plan to tell Andrew… yet. It could be just me, but he seemed a bit… odd. I wonder…

"Uh, hey.." I jumped. I was so lost in thought I didn't see Simon come up behind me.

He laughed. "Still jumpy are we?"

"Hey" I smiled. Simon was good company.

"Andrew says dinner's ready."

"Great. I'm starved. Be there in a sec-"

"Chloe?" I looked up at him. Oh great. He had one of those expressions on his face. One seen once too many times in every high school romance movie.

"Yeah?" I said, unsure if my voice was steady.

"I was wondering if after dinner you'd like to take a walk or something?" He gave an encouraging smile.

It's not like I didn't like Simon, he was my friend. Even though I expected this coming sooner or later, I wasn't sure if I wanted a boyfriend now. But I didn't want to hurt him either.

"Uh.. sure. That'd be nice" I tried to smile. He bought it.

"Great, now that that's over with, lets get inside. I'm freezing."

Everyone was already sitting at the table, digging into the hot meal. I sat next to Simon and Derek, Tori and Andrew across from me. Tori glared at me, stood up and stomped away. What was up with her?

"What's up with Tori?" Derek said, echoing my thought, and unfortunately, just load enough for her to hear. "Put a sock in it dog breath. Its almost as ugly as your face."

That did it. He stood up and gave her a look that said 'you'd better call up your dentist'. I put my hand on his arm and murmured something about that she wasn't worth it. He agreed with a stiff nod, and smiled at me. A crooked smile, and I look into his blazing eyes. I blushed, looked down at my plate and pretended to fiddle with a pea.

Derek had been looking a lot better now, and acted a lot nicer. At least to me. He didn't have any acne now and his hair was shiny and soft. He looked… pretty good.

After dinner Simon winked at me before I got up and started to head outside.

"Uh, Simon? Would you mind washing the dishes for me?" The voice startled me. I hadn't heard his voice the entire time we were at the table.

"No problem." He tried to keep his casual look, but I could tell he was disappointed. I decided to wait for him outside. praying he would forget the whole thing.

I waited at the same place he asked me "out". I started to pace. It was impossible to keep still in this cold weather. I suddenly tripped over something and fell flat on my face. "Ow…" I whined.

It was the book I has been reading earlier. I probably left it out here when I went in for dinner. I started toward the door to take the book back when I hit something big and hard.

"What are you doing out here?" Derek said in a raspy voice.

"I-I was just putting back this book-" He took the book from me, read the title and nodded. "Good choice. I'll take it back up for you." I looked up at him and saw his face clearly. His eyes were glittering, hair matted on his red, sweaty face.

"Your-"

"Changing. I know. Not yet though. A few hours maybe…"

"I should come with you-"

"No not this time" Oh no, I wasn't going there.

"I know that you think you're dangerous Derek-"

"Then do me a favor and stay away."

"No. You can control yourself. You won't hurt me Derek, I know that."

I looked up into his emerald eyes, shining in the moonlight, only to see him looking down at me. Then I felt it again, hands feeling shaky, throat getting dry…

A breeze came by, and he became alert again. "There's someone here…"

"Simon? Tori?" I asked.

"A bad someone. I think…" He picked up the scent. "Run Chloe"

"W-What-t?" Was it Edison Group?

"CHLOE RUN!"

"Well, well, well, if it isn't little cutie and the big bad wolf!"

Liam.


	2. Chapter 2

**** I just stood there, frozen. I couldn't think, I couldn't move and I couldn't breathe. Liam, Liam was here! Derek pulled me toward his chest and held me tight, his breathing hard. I could hear his growling coming from the back of his throat. I guessed he could see that there was no point running anymore.

Liam stood there , smiling his wicked smile, looking at me in that sick, perverted way. I shivered and his smile reached to his ears. "Well, isn't this lovely! An old foe coming back and an old friend who became a foe. Now thats's something!"

His words confused Derek. He looked at him. Then his eyes widened. "Andrew…" he whispered.

No!

" Got that right pup. He lead me straight to you. Right under your little nose."

"Liar!" The voice surprised me, because it came from me.

"What's that cutie? You'd think I'd lie to you? I wouldn't blame you if you did. Whatever, I just want revenge. And revenge I shall have." He barred his teeth at us.

Derek spoke up. "You want revenge, come and get it. But leave her out of this."

He pushed me behind him, out of site, and whispered that everything was going to be okay. His braced for the fight, teeth flashing in the darkness.

"No way, she's where the fun be-" Fortunately, I didn't have to hear the rest of his 'evil' plan. Derek charged in and hit him good in the face. The blood-shed began. "Run!" Derek screamed so loud my ears rang. I guess the running idea was not totally forgotten.

"I- I'm not leaving you!" My voice was shaky and uneasy. Another blow toward Liam's ugly face. Liam hit him back, harder, and Derek stumbled back. His face was cover in blood, like what you see in a horror movie. And I just stood there, defenseless, unmoving. I wanted to do something. I couldn't just stand there, but I didn't have my switch-blade. I stepped toward the fight, fists ready. I must look so dumb, a tiny girl ready to take on a fully grown werewolf.

'Chloe don't be stupid! RUN!" He took in a deep breath, regaining his position as Liam struggled to get up. He looked into my eyes with worry. "Please run" he whispered so softly, so slow. My eyes filled with tears. What if we weren't lucky this time? I quickly shook them off.

Our eyes locked for a moment. I couldn't speak. I only stared back into them. I saw Liam in the corner of my eye, getting up and running straight for Derek. "DEREK!-" I screamed. Liam hit him on the back of his head and Derek fell on the grass making a _thump!_ .

NO!

"DEREK!" He didn't respond."DEREK, DEREK!" His eyes were closed and he lay flat on the ground, unmoving. I tried run to him, but Liam barred my way.

"Where are you going cutie? We're not done." He smiled again, flashing his blood- stained teeth. Tears filled my eyes. Derek, Derek, Derek… Was he… could he be?

No. I wiped away my tears, and drew away the idea. But it was so hard when he looked _so_ dead. Blood, arms and legs in twisted angles, eyes closed. I couldn't even tell if he was breathing.

Liam punched me hard on my face and I tasted blood. Derek, Derek… It was so stupid that all I could think about was him. He hit me again on my chest, my ribs aching in pain. Everything started to blur. I fought conscienceless, getting in and out of I saw him. Derek was up, screaming my name. He was okay. Derek was okay. I smiled like an idiot, not caring about what was happening, much less understanding. A fist raised, a scream, which was probably mine, Derek yelling my name, and everything went black. All was gone.

**********************************************************************

I saw a woman. Where was I? Everything was bright.

"Mom?"


	3. Chapter 3

"Mom?" I called again only to have an echo reply. I was probably being dumb, seeing my mom. It's been years since the accident. Maybe she passed over, or whatever ghosts do when its… time.

Where the hell was I? Dreaming? I don't remember falling asleep.

"Chloe…"

It was just a whisper, one small word, but hit me like a boulder. Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring the strange brightness. She was here. The voice was so real, as if I was in that crib again, falling asleep to her soft voice singing "Day Dream Believer". She was here. But it could be just a dream…

"Mom-" I managed to choke out. "Mom!"

"Don't move, I'm coming." The whisper was stronger now. I started so shake. I didn't know what to say, what to think.

"Chloe, you've grown so much." My mother was standing in front of me. In - Front- Of- Me. After ten years, she was here. "Mom…" I couldn't find any words.

She was so beautiful. She had long, blonde hair, and blue eyes. My eyes. And now they were filled with tears, just like mine.

"Shhh" she said. "You must go before its too late." What? I didn't wanna leave.

"I don't want to go…" My voice was thick.

"You have to go sweetheart, its not your time yet. Save your friends."

Oh.

I was dead. Or maybe close to it. It was scary, saying that in my mind so calmly.

"Mom, am I- dead?"

"Not yet sweetheart, but if you don't go now…."

"Mom… I love you. I-"

"Shhh, go now before its to late."

"How?"

"Find your body."

My body. It was hard for me to separate myself. Body from soul. But it wasn't too late. I could go back. But did I want to?

I was finally away from the danger of life. Of Edison Group, of Liam, of everything.

Of Derek.

No, I had to go back. I had to save Derek, and Simon and Tori were in no good hands either. Andrew. How could he?

"I love you Chloe. I wish you could stay, with me, but I want you to live. To finish school, fall in love, get married, have kids…" She touched my face, but I felt nothing. "To be my big girl."

I smiled, my watery eyes pouring over again. So much tears tonight. So much emotion.

"I love you, now go and be -" I never got to here what she had to say. The world came back, darkness spilling over the bright light. I saw the trees, the grass-

and stopped short.

My body.

I looked at the lifeless me. Blood splattered everywhere. My eyes closed and my hair over my face. I stepped forward. Ha, the necromancer became the ghost, and now, vice versa. I was on top of me now. I wasn't sure how to get back inside of me, so I just let myself fall. I felt the pain.

My ribs ached, arms limp, face stinging. But nevertheless, I got up. I struggled a little and swayed a bit. I caught a branch and regained my balance.

Now, how was I going to find Derek and the others.

I decided to check the house first. I was calm now. I wanted to save my friends and was determined to do so. But there was no one in the house, or outside. But I got my knife, and my backpack, just in case. They took them. But where?

So it had to be the hard way, like any good plot in a movie. But in real life, I'd want the easy way. I went outside and ran back to the place where I… 'died'. There was only blood when I looked the first time, but then something caught my eye. Behind the trees. A man. I froze in place, hoping he wouldn't see me. My eyes adjusted and I saw him. Ramon.

"You!" I screamed. I had my knife now, and was so ready to use it.

I bolted toward him. How dare he come back!

"Easy, easy!" he whispered. "I just wanna help-"

"Yeah right you son of a bi-"

"Seriously, I'm not trying to trick you. I know where they took your friends and I can take y-"

"Shut up! Just shut up you liar!" I wasn't gonna take any crap from him. I put the switch- blade at his throat.

"Look, you're the only chance they've got. If you think I'm leading you wrong, kill me."

I looked up at him, and saw the truth in his eyes. I hesitated for a bit, but he wasn't even there during the fight. I knew what I had to do.

I agreed.


	4. Chapter 4

We walked through the forest, my knife ready at hand. I wasn't taking any chances, and if this was the only way, then I was going to be determined and responsible. I prayed I would be. It was only me now. Ramon was helping; I just couldn't understand why he was.

I started to think about Andrew. Was Liam lying? I didn't really know Andrew, but Simon and Derek trusted him. I had so many questions, and I couldn't think of any answers. All I knew was that everything wasn't as it seemed.

I decided to ask Ramon. He should at least know something about all this. He could lie, but I doubted it. He didn't seem like a threat, and again, it was probably the only option for now.

"Ramon, I need to know whats going on." I said it strong, I wasn't going to be a coward in front of him.

"About what exactly?"

"Everything. About why you're helping me, why Liam took Derek, and if Andrew is really a traitor."

He didn't answer. It's not like I expected one, but it still made me uneasy. I held my switch- blade tighter.

A cut on my arm started to sting. I tried to ignore it.

And after what seemed like forever, he broke the silence.

"I ran away from my pack when Andrew showed up. I didn't want revenge, and it seemed like he and Liam were up to no good. Something about… Eddington Group?"

I think I just stopped breathing. "E-Edison Group-p?" I said in a low, shaky voice.

Stupid! Don't let him know you're scared!

I couldn't help it. Anything to do with them wasn't good news.

" Yeah." He looked up at me. "Bad?"

I nodded.

It was quiet for a moment. Ramon broke the silence again. "Well, anyways, Andrew was working with them. The group wanted you five back, badly. He said it would be easy to get the other two, and you, but Derek was gonna be trouble. He asked the nearest Pack. Liam wanted the job. I didn't. They said they were going to meet at a deserted factory, not to far from here, and that's where we're headed now."

So Andrew was working for Edison Group. That no good traitor! Kit trusted him! Simon and Derek trusted him. How could he?

That left only one question left.

Why are you helping me?"

Why? 'Cause I'm not the bad guy you think I am. I was only with Liam because I was scared, confused. I realize that there's more to life than all this crap. So yeah, it might sound cheesy, but it's the truth."

I looked up at him.

"What?" he asked, sounding offended.

I didn't know what to say.

"Thank you."

He mumbled something I couldn't make out.

And for the rest of the walk, we didn't sound of the crackling leaves under our feet was all I could hear. Until I heard voices.

Ramon signaled to crouch down, concealing ourselves behind the bushes. I raised my head a bit, so I could see what was going on.

Derek was unconscious, or so I hoped, and Liam was putting him into the back of a van. Andrew wasn't there. Tori and Simon weren't there either.

The sting on my arm was getting worse. I winced.

I suddenly saw another van pulling out of the driveway. That must be them. I was shaking so hard, the bushes started to rustle. Ramon cursed at me and told me to calm down.

I couldn't.

Liam was just getting into the driver's seat when he paused. He sniffed the air, and looked in our direction. He started to walk towards us. A slow, suspenseful walk, perfected by any villain in a movie. I tried to calm down, but my breathing became louder and more audible. My arm stung so bad.

Ramon shifted closer to me and whispered in my ear. "I'll hold him back as long as I can. You run, grab you're friend if you can, and run like hell."

I looked up at him, seeing no other option. My eyes started to water. Liam was bigger than he was. He could take him down so easily.

Ramon wasn't gonna make it.

Thinking of nothing else to say, "Than-"

"Save the crap, will you? Just think of this as a sorry for last time." He ran through the bushes and I started to get up. I heard a scream. Liam was armed, with a blade.

Ramon fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Liam leaned over and stabbed him again, and I heard a sick rip of flesh. Tears filled my eyes, and I saw his ghost. He wandered for a bit, and disappeared. Liam came toward me.

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**Dun Dun Dun Dah! I just love the cliff hangers. Please give me your opinions on this chapter. **

**P.S: A shirtless Derek is coming soon, so keep reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

Liam came toward me.

************

I crouched down, hiding behind the bushes. It wouldn't help, he knew where I was. But I couldn't help but try, even though it's over. No one was gonna come and rescue me now. And if I died, I doubted Mom would help me. Derek was unconscious (and I hoped he was), Ramon was dead, and the place was deserted. I was on my own. Me and a werewolf. The odds?

Not promising.

He came closer. The pain on my arm became excruciating. I tried to focus.

"Hey there cutie. Alive, aren't you? Excellent. Now we can have some fun before I send you off." He barred his teeth.

I could hardly hear him. My arm hurt so bad.

He grabbed me by my arm. The arm that stung, that was grazed by a bullet, and had stitches. I screamed.

"Shut. Up!" he said. He dragged me toward the van. My arm burned and made my stomach my stomach twist and turn. It was just a cut for heaven's sake! Why was it doing this to me?

I screamed and shouted. It was hopeless, I knew that, but I wasn't giving up that easily.

Liam kept swearing at me, saying that if I made one more sound he'd make it worse. I shut up, and thought hard. I needed a solution… fast.

I took out my switch-blade, struggling to hold it steady. It took a while to aim it right, it was funny that he didn't notice, and I jammed it through his hand.

He threw me to the side, cursing and swearing. Scarlet leaked from his hand. I looked away, and focused on breathing. My arm throbbed, stomach giving away what was left of dinner. The sick smell just made everything worse.

I couldn't stand the pain any longer. And Liam would come for me again, once the bleeding stopped.

Which would be soon.

"DEREK!" I screamed. Maybe, even if it was a slim chance, he would hear. "DEREK!"

Liam started toward me. His face was twisted with anger.

"DEREK!"

Then I saw him. Derek burst out of the van. He had no shirt and was down to his boxers. Changing time. Oh no.

"Chloe?!" He screamed. He sounded like he was crying. What? Derek didn't cry. Well, maybe he does, but what was wrong? "Chloe!" He bolted toward me.

I felt so stupid, laying there on the ground. I tried to get up, and reached for my knife.

I heard a growl. Liam went for Derek, who was braced for impact.

They fought.

It was a lot more grueling than the last one, poor Derek was already in pain. I had to help him. I didn't want to be the damsel in distress, I wanted to be the knight in armor. I tried to get up.

My arm screamed in protest and I winced. But that wasn't important now. I still had my knife, and realized what I had to do.

Kill Liam.

_Don't back down now! You _want_ to do this, so do it! _

I did want to, and now I had to. But I couldn't. To take someone's life? Even if it was Liam, I couldn't do it. I-

A howl broke my thought. Derek stiffened, back arched. Fur broke through his skin. Face changing, limbs shifting. Liam just starred at him with a smile on his god damn _ugly_ face. He was enjoying Derek's pain.

That jackass!

I sprung toward him, eyes on the prize, switch-blade pointed at him. I dug the point into his back, deep enough to hit his cold heart. He made a small squeal, and fell dead on his back. His ghost drifted away, hopefully on its way to HELL.

Then I pushed his bloody body aside, shaking. My switch-blade was still wedged in his back.

I killed a man.

I felt like I was going to barf, but my stomach was empty. I felt dizzy.

_I killed a man, I killed a man._

Human Derek was gone now, and a black wolf was in his place. I gave a shaky smile, salt water trickling down my check. He wiped it off with the back of his paw, and I swear I saw him smile.

"See, I told you you weren't dangerous."

He made a sound that I assumed as a laugh. I laughed with him, my wolf friend.

He tugged at my sleeve, and pointed his nose toward the deserted truck stop. I nodded and followed him.

Derek got a piece of card board and signaled for me to lie down. He looked at me for a second, and headed outside to the bushes.

'Where are you going?!" He didn't stop so I followed after. He went into the bushes and howled. I froze and waited. A raspy voice spoke after a while, "Uh, Chloe, I'm going to need some clothes…"

I blushed so hard I'm sure my cheeks would burst. "I-I think there in the v-van"

"Yeah, do you mind? There're some new clothes Liam brought for himself." I didn't have to say anything.

I went and got his clothes.

I put them outside the bushes and headed to the truck stop. I waited in the same place.

About five minutes later he came. He sat down next to me and looked at me for what seemed like forever. I looked down at the ground. " You okay?" he asked cautiously.

"Yeah." I couldn't think of anything else to say. So much happened in just one night.

"I thought…" He paused for a second, and I looked into his eyes. I could've sworn they were watery, but it was hard to tell in the near darkness. "I thought you were dead."

"I'm fine, it's just my arm.." He lifted it carefully toward the moonlight so he could see. "No…" he whispered. "No!"

"W-What-t?" It couldn't be that bad.

"Chloe, Liam… he…" He looked at me and stood up. "He bit you."

"W-what?"

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**Hahahahaha! Hoped you liked this chapter. Please review! ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

I didn't know what to think. Liam bit me. Was I going to be a werewolf?

Being a necromancer was enough trouble. And I didn't think that being a werewolf was going to make it any easier for me. I really, really, really didn't want to be a werewolf. Why did this have to happen?

Why?!

My life was ruined, broken into so many pieces that couldn't be put back together. Normal was such a distant word now, abundant in my life that was before, non- existent in my current life. Were-wolf necromancer. Cool in movies, terrifying in reality.

The bite was burning, spreading to every inch of my body like wildfire. I withered in pain, cursing.

Why?

Derek was still sitting beside me. His arm was around me, pulling me closer to his warm body. My tears stained his tried to calm me as he stroked my hair softly and whispered, "I'm sorry." over and over again. Two small words could say so much. It wasn't his fault. It was wrong for him to apologize. He had nothing to do with Liam biting me.

"It's not your fault…" I whispered to him.

"Yes it is, I could've stopped him, I could've done something," His voice was thick. I looked up into his eyes. "It's not Derek, it's ok."

My throat went dry again, looking into his glittering eyes. He put his hand on my cheek, big enough to cover my entire face.

"I'm so sorry." he whispered.

He looked away, lost in thought. After a few moments, he stood up, taking me up with him.

"Maybe we can wash the saliva away. The changes might not be so…. drastic."

He didn't sound too sure, but I was willing to try anything to make it better.

"I saw a stream when Ramon and I-"

"Ramon?" he spat the name. "What were-?"

"No Derek, its not like that. He _helped_ me find you. He wasn't a part of this, he just wanted to help."

"Where is he?" he asked quickly.

"He-" I gulped," Liam killed him"

"Oh,"

A moment of silence.

"Where's the stream?" Derek said.

"In the forest. It's about a 15 minute walk-"

"Lets go then. We can take care of your other injuries after."

I didn't ask what he meant by 'taking care of my other injuries'. How were we going to do that in a deserted area? I decided to leave that question for later.

As we walked, I thought about Mom. I hadn't really thought about her since my "temporary death", too much happened in one night. I missed her. I hadn't missed her or thought about her much for ten years, and now I did. But I would do what she told me. I kept to that. _Be a big girl_, she said. I smiled at how childish it sounded.

"What are you smiling at?" Derek asked, that crooked smile on his face. I hadn't noticed that he had been watching me.

Should I tell him? It was easy to talk to Derek, I told him about my problems in necromancy at least. But I guessed that I might need to talk to someone about it anyway. This was gonna kill me for years.

I looked at him and smiled, "My Mom."

He looked confused. "Is she here?"

"No, she passed over, but I got to see her for a bit."

He still looked confused. So I explained what happened when Liam "killed" me.

"Liam killed you?" He asked, horrorstruck.

"Not exactly, I was at the edge, and my mom came and helped me back before… before it was too late."

He just looked at me, not finding the right words. "I-"

"I'm fine, I just… never missed her like this before."

He didn't say anything for a while. We just walked in silence. The stream shouldn't far now.

"The stream should be somewhere here." I said.

We walked not more than a hundred yards, and my eyes settled onto the stream. It sparkled under the moonlight, more beautiful than anything I've seen in a long while.

We kneeled down and he took my arm very carefully. He dipped it into the water, and I felt the burning cool down. Then he wiped the blood off everywhere else, making sure he didn't leave anything behind.

"I'm really glad you didn't die, Chloe. I don't know what I would've done if you did." he said softly.

And there they were, the words he was trying to find the whole walk. I smiled at him, trying to find something to say.

"And I'm glad you're ok too." I said.

He smiled at me again, and took my hand. He traced his hand up my arm to that it rested right about my bite. "Does it feel any better?" he asked anxiously.

"It feels a lot better, thanks." It did. The burning was gone, but I still felt the fire everywhere else. I tried to ignore it.

"I just hope it helps." He laid back on the grass, "You know, It might not the best, but being a werewolf is not all bad."

I laughed, trying to ease the pain, mental and physical. "Yeah, the necro-werewolf. Pretty cool, huh. Might add that to my career application. Could bring me up a bit, I could star in a horror film. No need for special effects."

He chuckled,"Yeah… but I thought you wanted to be a director?"

"Well, from the point where I'm standing, I don't think I would ever be either."

It was silent for a moment. I was glad I was with Derek. I wouldn't rather be stuck with anyone else. I haven't known him for long, but it was as if he was there my entire life.

Wait, Simon and Tori. Where were they? Are they okay?

"Derek, w-what happened with Simon and T-Tori?" Fear returned. I doubt it ever left.

"Andrew took them to the main quarters in Rochester to decide what to do with them. Liam told him you were dead, and he said it didn't matter. But why would Andrew do this? Dad trusted him."

"Right now we need to find Simon and Tori. We can deal with Andrew later. I grabbed my bag before I left so I have about $200."

"We can use the van, it's abandoned, and we have the key."

I looked at him. His eyes were glittering. He still had a fever.

"But you're sick…"

"I'm fine. Changing wasn't as painful as last time. The fever should cool down in a few hours."

"We can rest until then-"

"No, we are going to hospital to stitch your cuts, get something to eat and leave to Rochester."

Hospital? That wasn't necessary, and what if they tracked us down?

"Derek we can't go to the hospital. I still have a reward in me remember? If we get caught-"

"We'll leave before anything else happens. You got cut up real bad when Liam…. My point is that your hurt worse than you think. Look."

He pulled me toward the stream and I looked into the shining water. I gasped.

I had a huge cut above my forehead, and my chin was badly bruised. Ow.

"I see your point." I thought about it for a little. "Fine, but one sign of suspicion and we are out of there."

We went back to the driveway and got into the car. Derek got a map from the back of the van and brought up front so I could see too.

"There," he pointed," There's a hospital there. Looks like a 20 minute drive."

We buckled in and drove.

We goofed off and joked for the most of the way, which was a nice change from all the pain I felt tonight. But at some moments, we just looked at each other, smiling, until he started to steer away from the road, the cars would beep and we'd laugh like madmen.

The feeling was indescribable, something good. Something so deep and profound, but I felt like it stood out plainly in my face, and I couldn't read it.

We arrived and parked in the farthest, darkest end of the lot.

We went in the emergency department and the doctor took us in. I made up a story about falling over a log when we were hiking not too far from here while she was stitching the cut on my head. The doctor bought it, and he moved to my arm.

"That looks pretty nasty. Cut up your arm pretty bad when you feel, eh? I'll just get some iodine…" . She walked toward the cabinet, and I saw Derek. He looked worried. I mouthed to him that it was okay, but he just nodded stiffly.

The doctor came back and cleaned my bite. Then she stitched it up and bandaged it. "Ooo, looks like you had some stitches before." She pointed to the other pair of stitches. "Clumsy girl you are." she smiled at me,"Well, it looks pretty much healed, so I could take them out now, just need to get the stuff I need from storage so I can fix your friend here too." She smiled at me again and walked out the door.

"We need to get out of here before they identify us." Derek said in a little more than a whisper. He went to the cabinet and got Advil.

"What's that for?"

"You might feel some pain if your werewolf powers start to kick in."

I nodded, not liking the idea of that.

"What about your injuries?"

"I'll heal quick, but now we need to get out of here." He looked serious, and I didn't push it on him anymore.

I nodded without hesitation and got off the bed.

Derek and I went through the way we came, and, thank god, no one stopped us.

We walked to the van, buckled in and drove away.


	7. Chapter 7

My heart was still beating fast, but I didn't know why. I don't think that we were in any real danger, the doctor was just helping us, and I doubt she was going to try to find out who we were: runaways from a group home for mentally disturbed teens (which was actually an experimental facility for genetically modified supernaturals). But now, going by that term, we couldn't trust anyone, not even the good guys.

"_It sucks, doesn't it?"_ echoing Derek's words.

Yeah, it really did.

So we kept driving through the icey morning. I could tell it was morning now, the faint orange-ish glow of the sun rising behind the trees. Derek didn't say anything; neither did I.

We kept driving, and I wondered where we were going. I didn't want to ask him, he seemed so tired, like he was going to drop dead any second. And that isn't a good thing when you're driving on a high speed freeway. There were dark bags under his bright green eyes, still glistening with fever. I didn't really wanna bother him, but after a while, I grew impatient.

"Derek? Where are we going?"

He didn't say anything, or even look my way. I knew he heard me, so I waited for an answer. Finally, he spoke, but still didn't look my way, "Some store I found on the map, where we can get clothes, food and warm up a bit before we head out to find them, _and_ put an end to this shit.". He said it with a tone of annoyance. I didn't blame him for being ticked off. After all, he had saved me, for the millionth time. _And_ had his brother kidnapped, which was a problem enough.

Simon and Tori. They never really left my mind, thoughts of them jumbled up inside my head, incomprehensible. Were they really safe? What was Edison Group doing now? What are they planning? Did they find Rae? Had she turned against them? What about Aunt Lauren? Oh damn it, was she okay? So many questions, no little time.

I looked at Derek again. Man, he _really_ needed some sleep. And I wouldn't mind a rest.

"You should sleep before-"

"No."

Ugh, he was so stubborn. And _he_ was the one usually making the senseful decisions. I guess worry was overcrowding his head.

"Yes, you should. We're never going to get any where if you're this tired,"

"Who said I'm tired?"

Will he ever listen?

"Come on Derek, it's obvious. And I'm not dumb. I'm keen enough to observe and make rational decisions." I looked at him to make sure he was listening, and I couldn't tell, so I continued, " I say we find a place to rest before we leave. You don't look like you could go much farther." I knew he wanted to find his brother. And his Dad. Possibly Tori, but that was doubtful. I wanted to find them too, but we weren't going to have much success like this. "You know as well as I do that we'll never find them this way,"

He gave me one hard, piercing look, as if I insulted him, and nodded once. "Fine." he said through his teeth.

Who knew I could be so convincing?

After a while, I started to worry. If Derek was worried about them, our situation wasn't good, or worse than I thought. And he probably knew more about what is going on than I did.

"Derek?"

No answer.

"Derek?" I said in a louder voice.

"Yeah?" He said reluctantly.

"Are they gonna be okay?"

Again, no answer. What the hell is his freakin' problem? He was getting me pissed off. And if they weren't safe, then I had the right to know. But I really, _really _hoped they were okay.

"Derek!"

"What?!"

"Are they?!" I couldn't take it anymore. I was shaking, my eyes watering, but I quickly dried them before he noticed. I seriously needed to get myself together. If this was life I'd have to live for who knows how long, I needed to stand up and be a big girl.

_To be my big girl.... _

_I will Mom. I promise_.

He sighed, "They should be okay for now. Edison Group won't do anything to them till they find me. Once they find out Liam is gone, they'll look for us, or me. They think you're dead." He added quickly, though I already knew._ "_Which _could_ be an advantage to us. So we're really in more danger than they are."

He forced himself to believe that, but I could tell he didn't. Who knew what they were doing to them? Sure we were in danger, but we have no idea what they're planning, or what they've already done. I shuddered, and suddenly realized that we weren't moving.

Derek was staring out the window, thinking hard, sadness and weary in his eyes. A car started beeping, and the loud noise burst my eardrums. Derek jumped and hit the gas.

* * *

We got to the store which turned out to be another one of 24 hour supermarkets you find every couple exits or so. We walked in, and I instantly felt it.

Woah. The werewolf powers were really kicking in. I could smell _everything_. I could tell what each aisle contained. Cereals and breads to the far right. Juices and fruits to the left. Meats and dairy straight ahead. The deli somewhere nearby. Clothing and hardware left corner of the store. People had scents too, though there weren't many shoppers at this time. Mixed scents of perfume, sawdust (from construction workers finding a snack to munch on, supposedly), and other things I just couldn't put my finger on. It was completely .... amazing. And somewhat scary.

"Are you coming or are you just gonna stand there all day?" I jumped.

"Yeah, you got the money?" I asked.

"Yeah. I think...uh, wait." He looked through his sack. "Damn it, grabbed the wrong sack," he cursed under his breath, but I could hear it now, with my super hearing. Ok, this bionic stuff was kinda getting annoying. No matter how cool. Hearing almost everything within a half a mile? Cool. Smelling every odor or sweet scent within the same half a mile? Awesome. But I had a feeling it was going to annoy me.

"How can you stand it?" I said quietly.

"Stand what?"

"The scents, the sounds, it's cool, but it doesn't get annoying?"

"Wha-" He looked confused. "Oh,"

"You started - I mean your powers, er, whatever is-"

"Yeah," I said. He looked concerned, which was an improvement from this morning's grouchiness, but I didn't want to put any more worry on him. I was a burden enough, I had to admit. "I'm fine," I added quickly. " Listen, I'll go get the sack, and you go get what we need." I headed out the entrance. He looked like he was going to say something else, but I left before he could.

The sun was out now. The fuzzy warmth made the morning a grateful gift after that long, cold night. I smelled the early morning dew, refreshing and cool. I took a deep breath, taking all the goodness in and walked to the van.

I took out the keys from my pocket, and started to unlock the door when a strange scent filled my lungs. I paused. It was sweet and strong, but smelt something like rust and salt. Like someone sprayed the area with some crappy designer perfume. But this was like nothing I had ever smelled before. I heard a rustle and looked around.

Danger never leaves me, not for a second, always waiting to jump out and torture me with whatever it has in store.

I took another look around, and unlocked the door slowly, trying to ignore the fear burning inside of me. I reached for the sack, but my hand barely got there before I heard a loud groan, almost inhuman. It came from the forest. I focused my eyes, and saw a flash of white, then.....gone. I guess my super-sight didn't really work in the daytime then. How disappointing.

Stupidly enough, I walked away from the van and towards the place where I saw the flash of white. I was scared, yes, and shaking too, but my curiosity overcame my common

sense. And I didn't stop to think what the rest of the saying went. "Curiosity killed the cat"

_Curiosity killed me. _Ha.

_But I'll stick to my promise_. And as I thought about Mom, I felt safer, and I stopped shaking.

The closer I got, the stronger the scent became. I kept walking, and kept at it until I saw it.

It was a human, extremely pale, but normal looking. He was a man, leaning over a dark figure, shadowed by the trees. He had short brown hair, and looked so dark in contrast with his pale skin. I took another step forward, and the dry leaves rustled making an audible sound. The man turned, and I ran behind a tree, just around ten feet away from him. The strong, strangely sweet smell, now stronger, was making me dizzy, and I swayed a bit before I regained my balance. I peaked behind a branch, and saw his face.

I screamed and ran for my life. I ran, and I didn't care where I went, I just needed to get away. _Big girl, big girl!_ I tole myself.

_SHUT UP!_ I shouted back at my inner voice.

I had to get out of here. ASAP. NOW! The man's eyes were red. _Red_. R-e-d. And in my book, that was nowhere near normal. His lips, dripping with blood, black rimmed eyes like goth people who overdo their eyeliner, and perfect white teeth (which shouldn't scare me, but now, anything would).

I kept running, faster than I've ever ran, feeling my legs stronger and sprinting to safety. I hit something hard, and fell on the concrete parking lot, pain blasting in my head. Did I always have to run into him?

"Chloe? I had extra money in my pocket, so I just...." Derek said, but I could hardly hear him. I was still in a state of shock. Shock wouldn't even cover it. "Chloe what's wrong?"

"Chloe!?" I was still shaking. He dropped the bags and knelt down so that his face was inches from mine.

"Chloe? Oh man, you're bleeding." He touched my forehead and I saw the bright red liquid on his fingers. "What happened? What's wrong? What happened to you, Chloe?" I opened my mouth, then closed it, finding no words. "Geez Chloe, you're shaking like hell. What happened?"

"N-n-no-o t-tim-me. H-have t-t-o get out-t of here-e-" I managed to choke out. I shot up and ran to the van in odd, shaky movements. He ran after me, leaving the bags where he dropped them.

"Chloe, you tell me what's going on right now!" He paused and caught a scent, "What _is_ that?" He asked in wonder.

What was I supposed to say? Some weird dude with black rimmed red eyes was drinking blood from whatever poor creature he was leaning over? No, I knew what the man was. I wasn't stupid. And neither was Derek.

In the past month, I have learned that strange, supernatural.... things exist in our world, hidden in secret, away from anything normal.* There were ghosts, people like me who could see them, sorcerers and witches, all sorts of demons, and werewolves. And now, another vile and disturbingly frightening edition has been made to that list. One that I was reluctant to add.

Vampires.

Could things get any worse?

"Chloe, for the last time, what the heck happened?!"

*** Sorry I hadn't updated in a while, it was examination month, and well, you know. Anywayz hope you didn't lose interest, cuz what you guys think means a lot to me. Hope you liked the twist, I just had to add vampires. :) Let me know what you think!***


	8. Chapter 8

"Chloe," he looked at me with such concern. He had pinned me to the van, trying to stop me from shaking so hard.

"Y-yes?" I couldn't help but stutter. Apparently, the vampire wasn't following me, so we were safe.... well... for now. But I couldn't get the shock out of me.

"Do I have to ask?" he said impatiently. Well, he had repeated the same question for the last five minutes, while I was trying to calm down.

I took a deep breath and started, "I c-caught a s-scent and," I didn't know how to continue, so I paused to think, chewing on my lip.

Derek raised one eyebrow, "And?"

"I heard something in the forest," I pointed toward the thicket of trees. "I followed the sound and the smell became stronger. And I saw..." I bit my lip. A vampire. Would he believe me?

"You saw...." he made a gesture that told me to continue.

"A v-vamp-pire." I bit my lip again, so hard I tasted blood, and waited for his reaction.

He looked at me hard, his expression sarcastic.

"A_ what_?" he looked at me mockingly. He didn't look scared. Derek never really shows his fear. Unless, of course, he wasn't scared. Which was doubtful, of course. A vampire? Seriously, that was scary.

I waited for him to say more.

"This is just...." he said to himself under his breath. But I could hear it like he was saying it right into my ear. "...crazy."

There was a pause, and in just realizing the very little distance between us, Derek backed away looking a bit embarrassed. I blushed as well, and as usual.

Finally, he spoke up, "Are you sure it was a vampire? I mean really ,Chloe, I thought it was Ed Group or something...." he said. "Scared the hell out of me."

He looked away, starring out into the forest, and looked at me again.

"Chloe, this is insane. You probably were...." he paused. He shrugged. "I don't know, but that couldn't be a vampire, Chloe."

This guy was so unbelievable. How could he not believe me?

There was another awkward moment of silence. I inferred that he wasn't going to say anything, and so I spoke up first.

"So that's it?" I asked, but not conveying it as a question.

"What?" he asked confused. As if he didn't know!

_Jerk._

"You don't believe me."

He hesitated, "Chloe, there's no way-"

"That doesn't mean I'm wrong. Just because you_ think _that couldn't have been a..." I struggled on the word. "a vampire, doesn't mean that I'm not right."

"Could you at least let me explain wh-"

I cut him off, "You didn't listen to me, why should I listen to you?" I wasn't _usually_ this stubborn. I did want to hear what he had to say, but I wanted to stand up for myself too.

_Time to prove him wrong_.

He sighed, "Look, if it makes you feel better we can go check this out. But just liste-"

"No, don't you see? You don't believe me-

"Chloe, come on, this is dumb, can-"

"No dog, because this is a problem, and you can't solve this one with your 'genius' math skills."

There was no fear now, only anger. I was scared out of my mind, still not comprehending what I've just seen, and now I had to listen to his crap about him always being right and me wrong. Or at least that is what I'm taking in from this conversation.

Derek glared at me, nostrils flaring, anger erupting swiftly.

"Well, guess what Chloe? I'm not the only dog around here anymore. In fact, you're probably more of a freak than I am. And you kno-"

No! I didn't want to hear this. I covered my ears, but it didn't help. I could hear every word, stabbing me, ripping me apart. I couldn't take it. He was killing me inside, because it was so _true_. I _am_ a freak, and, no doubt, more of a freak than he was. I wasn't normal Chloe Saunders anymore. No. I was the genetically modified necro-wolf. Tears spilled over, and I turned and started to walk away.

"Hey, I'm not done here!" he yelled back at me.

"Yes y-you a-are," I barely choked out.

"No, I'm not!" he caught up with me and forcefully grabbed my shoulder. I squealed in pain.

"Get off me ... you..." I stopped to think of an insult. Man if I ever needed one, this badly, it was now.

"What is it? Say it! Dog? Freak? Both suit both of us pretty well, don't you think?"

" You... monster!" I yelled.

And off he went. He tightened his grip on my shoulder and within seconds I was soaring through the air. Everything was spinning, blurs of green brown and gray, and I fell with a sharp crack on the ground. Pain shot up my leg.

"Ow!" I screamed. "My leg you _dimwit_!".

Ow, ow, ow! Shit that hurt! I tried to move it. It felt okay enough to stand on, so I tried to get up.

"Oh damn it!" He ran toward me, "Chloe are you okay? Chloe! Oh Chloe, I'm sorry.. I-I didn't mean.. I'm so sorry..."

"JUST STAY AWAY FROM ME!" I glared at him, his face pale, stone-like. "You did enough."

"Chloe, please, let me help. Here-" He tried to help me up, but I shoved him away.

"Chloe... I'm so sorry."

"That's it! I'm leaving!" I blurted out without thought. Wait, what? I didn't know where I'd go or how'd I survive.

How will I save them?

But I knew one thing. I wanted to get out of here. I had to. I didn't wanna be with Derek anymore. It was a mistake to think of him as a friend.

_Or more than that...  
_

And after a while of struggling, I got up, limped to the van, grabbed my sack, and headed to... well, I'd figure that out later.

"What the hell? Chloe get back here! Are you out of your mind?"

"Yes Derek. I am." I ignored him and continued my aimless journey.

"AHHH!" he screamed. he kicked the tire of the van. "Look, I'm sorry! But could you let me explain why it couldn't ha-"

"I've heard enough Derek! And _apparently_ felt it!" I gestured to my injured leg and winced.

"You're nuts!" he yelled again, my ears ringing. He kicked the tire again, this time hard enough to flatten it. "Oh crap! Man, thats just great!"

He looked at me and gave me one last scowl, "Fine, do what you want. I don't care anymore."

"Good. Because I don't either." and I left, not taking another look back.

_Though you did want to. _

_Shut up._

I really hated that inner part of me.

And that was that.

* * *

I was limping for almost an hour on the edge of the freeway, heading to a cheap roadside motel. At least I had the map with me. And most of the money. Ha. One point for Chloe, none for dog.

I kept walking, or better to say _trying_ to walk. My leg felt better. The pain wasn't as piercing, and I could walk better now, but it was still a bit tender. Healing fast was such an advantage.

It was around noon, nice and warm. Well, warmer than usual, it was still freezing, but tolerable. And thankfully too, since I didn't bring the jacket Derek got me. Or the food. I was so hungry.

Derek. What a jerk. And moron. I couldn't believe him. What nerve!

But what really bothered me the most was that _he_ hadn't believed me. And that I felt bad that _he_ didn't. I don't know... he was.... Derek... was.... something else to me.

My eyes started to water for no reason. I felt bad for insulting him. After what he's done for me? I was so wrong.

_But he hurt me. _

_Yes, but I hurt him first; not physically at least. _

_Yeah, but he didn't believe you. _

_True, but I over-did the situation. _

_Yup you did. _

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

The more I thought about Derek, the more it hurt me, so I tried not to think about him. He was gone now. Fine. I had to deal with that. I kept walking, holding back the flood of salt water in my eyes, like a tiny dam holding back the sea. Of course the dam would break down, just as I did.

Fifteen minutes later. I couldn't help thinking how _stupid_ I was. And am. And always will be. And no matter how much I tried to defend myself during this whole in-my-head debate thing, I came out wrong. Actually, I had a point to leave, but it was stupid of me too. Great. Now what? I was alone now, no Derek to joke around with, idiotically trying to find my _real_ friends and trying to stop Edison Group, single , I was hopeless. I was nothing. And, I was far from home, which I wouldn't even go back to, though I could with effort.

But this was life I had to live now. The life of a supernatural. On the run. Hiding from danger. Sounds like fun. What excitement! What adventure! Woohoo!

_This sucks._

_Ugh. Tell me about it_.

I saw the motel. It was closer now. Finally, food, a shower, and a warm bed. Score!

I forgot how tried I was after what seemed like years of walking, and ran toward the heavenly sight. But something was blurring me.

"Chloe! I'm so glad to see you!"

I couldn't believe it.

"Liz!"


	9. Chapter 9

"Liz!" Everything was shining with sudden happiness.

And, forgetting how tired and hungry I was, I ran up to her, arms wide open for a hug. But there was this one little thing about Liz being a ghost.

I ran right though her, grazing my knees on the road. "Ow!"

"Easy there, Chloe!" she giggled. "Sheesh, girl, you look terrible. What happened?" she looked around anxiously, "Wait, where's everyone else?"

I sighed, "Long story," I said, the sadness in my voice apparent. I looked up at her, and I saw that she was not very clear, like a bad T.V signal. " Oh, wait a sec." I said, and concentrated on Liz. I imagined pulling her from an imaginary door, and called her name in my head.

_Liz, Liz, Liz. _

I looked at her again, seeing her crystal clear, as if she was really standing in front of me, giving me that familiar warm smile.

"That's better," I said, smiling.

She looked at me, eyes starring at me with concern.

"Where have you been, Liz? I was worried sick!" I said, trying to avoid explaining everything now.

Her face brightened, " Oh, Chloe! I saw my Nana and everyone!" she paused, her expression suddenly became very grief, " And- and, oh Chloe I'm so sorry!"

"Sorry for what?" I asked confused. What was she talking about?

"Y-you're aunt, Chloe. I'm so sorry! She died."

My heart froze. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

She can't die! No! What I saw was an illusion. Derek said so! Everyone said so!

Tears ran down my raw cheeks, stinging them bitterly.

"Chloe, I'm so sorry. She passed over a while ago. She said she saw you though and-"

"No!" I screamed. "That was an illusion! It was a trick! They tricked me that damn Edison Group! It wasn't real!"

"Chloe, I'm so sorry. Please, don't cry. She wouldn't want this."

I took deep long breaths. Why'd she have to die? Why'd they kill her. Evil assholes!

My sadness automatically turned to anger. How dare they!

"Chloe, it'll be okay. Don't worry." She tried to smile, I could tell, but her face remained with the same grieved expression.

"I will have my revenge." I said darkly, surprised that such an evil voice came from me.

Liz just kept looking at me, not really finding anything else to say.

I sighed, still shaken by the death of my aunt. "Lets go," I said to Liz. "Come on, I'll tell you what happened." We walked to the motel in utter silence.

It wasn't exactly a five star hotel, but it was nice and comforting; better than sleeping in an alley, that's for sure. I walked in, suddenly feeling very unsure of myself. I hardly looked thirteen, and had no ID or adult with me. My chances of getting a room were small, and might even land me into bigger trouble, which I really didn't need with a half-a- million dollars on my head. (Sheesh, what was Dad thinking?) But right now, I wanted a warm bed and some hot food. And as crazy as it all seemed, I was totally willing to try to check-in. I put up my hood and tried to cover my blue eyes with my still gross black hair that hung over of my face so that it would be hard to recognize me, or so I hoped it would. I walked to the counter, grasping my sack tightly.

"It's okay, I'm right behind you." Liz whispered into my ear. I didn't know why she _whispered _it. I mean, I was the only one who could hear her. I shook my head and tried to focus.

"Hello?" I said.

A large man walked through the door behind the counter. He had long blonde hair, bundled up into a pony tail, and had a goatee. He sorta reminded me of one of those biker dudes racing on the highway with no real destination.

"Hey there sweetheart, what can I do for you?" he asked, giving me a warm smile. I smiled back and tried to play along.

"H-Hi, I need a r-room p-please." I said, a bit unsteady.

He gave me a look that looked like he though I was joking. "You got a name?"

I tried to smile as I thought up any random name. "Corrie Serman." I said strongly, hoping he'd buy it.

"Ain't you a bit young to be bookin' a room, Corrie?" Crap. What was I supposed to say. I bit my lip and decided to play puppy dog, praying it would work. I was so tired and _hungry. _

"_P-Pleeeease _Sir. I really need a place to stay tonight. It's so cold outside and I have no where else to go."

He kept looking at me, and his expression changed from mocking to soft and sympathetic.

"I know it's hard kiddo, but this is not the way to go. I'm gonna to call the cops and see if you gots anywhere better to go."

Nononononono. This was definitely not good. Either I have to try better at begging or I'm on a one way trip down to trouble. I looked at Liz, who was beside me, and she looked just as hopeless. God, this was a bad idea.

"Please Sir. Can't I just stay one night? Please!" I tried to make some silly excuse up. "I've got a lot of trouble back home and it's - it's...." _Come on, think!_ But I couldn't. What the hell was I supposed to say? But before I could say anything, the large man spoke up.

"Look, sweetheart, I know it's hard. I was like you once... " he trailed off, lost in his own memories. He sighed deeply, "Okay, look, I-ma make you a deal. You can stay for one night, but tomorrow I'm gonna make that call. You understand?"

I smiled in relief and gratitude. "Yes, Sir." I started to get out my sack when he stopped me.

"Oh no. You don't gotta go around payin' for things. This one's on me. Now you take this key here and rest for a bit. Then you can come down for some lunch."

I spoke quickly, "Could I have lunch now?"

He laughed, "Sure thing kiddo; just have a seat over there." He pointed to the table closest to the counter, and I nodded. He then called to the waitress nearby, " Hey Ann! Whip up some burgers for the young lady here!" he looked at me and winked. "You like fries?" he asked.

Was that a question? "Yes!" I squeaked stupidly, sounding too eager. I blushed, and he laughed again. "And some fries too!" he yelled back at Ann, who was already heading to the kitchen. I smiled at Liz, still standing next to me. She looked relieved.

I started to walk away when I turned back, "Thank you, Sir." I wish I could say more to him for being so nice. But I wasn't going to let him make that phone call. I'd find a way outta here by dawn. At least, I hoped I would.

"No need to be thankin' me, sweetheart. Just don't call me Sir; I don't like any of that fancy formal stuff. Call me Doug."

I nodded, still smiling at him. "Thanks, Doug."

"Anytime," he said, thoughtlessly, his hands busy with some papers lying around on the counter.

I hurried to my 'assigned' table, and waited eagerly for my burger. How long has it been since I've eaten? My stomach hurt when I tried to remember. Liz sat on then chair across from me and smiled. I smiled back at her and then turned away, remembering that I was the only one who could see her, and I really didn't want to look like an idiot again.

As I sat and waited for my meal, I thought about my situation at the moment.

Firstly, I was miles away from anywhere with the ghost of my best friend at a motel.

Secondly, I had run away from Derek (stupidly) and now I had no idea where he was.

Thirdly, Simon and Tori were in the hands of Edison group, and possibly Rae.

Fourthly, vampires existed, and that apparently wasn't extremely good news.

And fifthly, my aunt was dead, and I really didn't wanna think about that now.

On the bright side, I didn't have to pay for my meal or room, which meant I would have more than enough money to get to Rochester. (and for some new clothes)

And Liz was here, which was good, obviously. But what was I going to do?

A mouthwatering smell interrupted my thoughts. Someone had walked out of the kitchen leaving the door open, and the delicious smells wavered around me. Liz laughed, a laugh only audible to me, and I tried to stifle my chuckle. I really never felt this hungry before. Was this how Derek felt? I felt bad for thinking he was piggish.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the waitress, Ann, walked in, and more importantly, with my burger, fries, and Cola. She smiled when she came to my table.

"Burger, fries and some ice cold Cola for the young lady here, on the house!"

I smiled and thanked her. She winked at me and walked back to the kitchen.

I devoured the burger and fries, leaving nothing on my plate. It was so good, but yet, it didn't fill me up. I sighed and thought that it would be rude to ask for a second helping, so I drank the last of my Cola and headed to the room, Liz following after like a little puppy.

The small room was almost completely empty except for a nightstand, a small bed, a mirror and drawers. I looked around and saw a closet. I walked over to it and opened it, only to find that it was a small bathroom. I plopped down on the bed and sighed. Liz sat next to me.

"So, aren't you going to tell me what happened?" she asked.

I sighed and looked up at her, "You're up for a long story?"

"I'm ready eddy!" she said, with her usual touch of optimism. I smiled at her and told her everything that happened since she'd gone.

***

"I missed that much! Man, I always miss the good stuff." she said, sarcastically.

I glared at her,"What am I going to do, Liz? I'm totally lost." I was. And I was also crying. I sighed, kneading my forehead and trying to come up with something. Anything.

"Well, for one thing Chloe, you need some rest. For another, I say we find Derek before anything else. You're going to need his help."

"You mean _we_, Liz." I added hastily.

"Chloe, you know I can't stay here forever and-"

"Liz! No! You just came back for God's sake! You can-"

She cut me off, " Chloe, I was just saying that I have no control of when I leave and when I don't. I'm not going anywhere yet, though."

"How can you tell?"

She hesitated, "I don't know, ghosts usually get this sort of feeling. It's confusing. I've heard it from some other ghost rumors."

I almost laughed, "Ghosts spread rumors?" Hehe, what a joke.

She giggled, "It's not really like that. Just some sayings and stuff."

The was a pause. There really wasn't much left to say. I pretty much talked myself through the two hours we've been in the room. I was exhausted. I laid back on the pillow and sighed. It was noon now. Time seemed to go by so fast. My eyelids drooped over, and I yawned.

"Get some rest, I'll be here watching."

I nodded sleepily at her and fell asleep almost immediately.

***

My dream was incomprehensible, with all kinds of mixed images of recent events. The empty freeway I was walking on early this morning, Liz coming back.

And Derek. The image of Derek made me stir. I saw him throwing me across the pavement, laughing moronically.

But the next image really scared me. I was in the middle of the forest, the colors and the familiar feelings of the forest were so vivid they could be real. I was lying down on the white cold ground. (Huh, must be snowing.) But there was something wrong. I looked at myself and realized what was happening. I must have been Changing. Was I? Thats what it looked like at least. Beads of sweat forming at my forehead, writhing in pain. My dream-me screamed and I woke up.

"Chloe! Wake up ,will you!" a voice said.

"Liz?" I said, groggily.

"There's something out there, look!"

"What?" Disoriented, I sat up right, rubbing my eyes. It was dark outside. How long have I slept?

"Chloe, there is something out there!"

My body felt sore, "Okay, okay, I'll look." I walked up to the tiny window and peered outside in the darkness. It was so easy to see at night. I looked harder and saw something moving through the trees. The familiar scent filled my lungs and I let out a small squeal.

The vampire jumped through my window.

"Hello there." he said.


	10. Chapter 10

I stood there, frozen in my place. I could have peed on myself if I wasn't so scared. How did he find me? He barely caught a glimpse of me in the forest for heaven's sake!

Liz took immediate action, throwing the mirror at the man, uh, vampire thing. Actually he seemed so much younger now that I could see him properly. I dodged the shattering pieces when it broke against his skin.

"Hey, hey! What's the problem here?" he complained. What the hell? Shouldn't he have sucked my blood by now?

I took a shaky step back. "W-wha-at do y-you want?" I said.

He leaned against the wall, fiddling with his fingernails. "What I want? Well, first I'd like to say that what you did, interrupting my feeding and throwing the mirror at me, wasn't very nice. I didn't even touch you!"

What the hell?

"Uh," I said, relaxing a little. Whatever he was planning to do with me, he wasn't going to do it now. At least I hoped so.

"Well?" he said a bit impatiently.

"I-I didn't-t mean to int-terrupt you, but you s-smell really weird-d, and I was c-curious. And I didn't throw the m-mirror at you, my f-friend did-d."

"Oh really? I don't see anyone else here." he paused,"Ah, right,"he said under his breath, as if reminding himself something, "And as for my smell, " he continued,"I'll just take that as a compliment." he ran his fingers through his dark hair and walked over to me.

"Well, y-you can't see her-r bec-cause s-she is a g-ghost-t."

He stared at me, and his face lightened up, "I thought you were a werewolf, uh, Corrie, is it?" he said almost amusingly. His red eyes shining with humor. Huh, they weren't rimmed with black anymore.

I lifted a brow, "How would you know?" I asked, taking a step back.

"Well, nothing can really smell me except for werewolves. Aren't you a necro?" he took a step toward me. I stepped back. How'd he know that?

"Yes, I'm a necromancer too, if that's what you're getting at." I blurted out quickly. What was the point of hiding it from him? He practically already knew.

"And you're ghost friend here is- or shall I say _was-_ the Agito half demon?" he asked taking a few unnecessary steps toward me so that I was back up against the wall. What did he mean by _the_. I looked at Liz. She seemed so hopeless, and attempted to give me a sorry smile, but all I saw was worry. I didn't blame her; she couldn't really do anything now. That guy was as hard as rock. And all she could really do was throw things at him. Not to mention the lack of furniture.

"Uh, y-yeah."

"How interesting.." was all he said. His scent was making me dizzy.

"How did you find me?" I asked.

"You're scent. I have a keen sense of smell too. But enough of that now. I need your help."

What? I thought I heard wrong.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," he leaned over, the strong smell exhausting me,"I. Need. Your. Help. Well, more like you need mine."

What the hell? Wasn't he supposed to be practically, uh, eating me by now? Okay, this is weird.

Really weird.

"With what?"

"Well, Edison Group messed me up too. So I was thinking you and your run away friends could help me. I mean, we could work together and bring them to an end, Chloe."

I stifled a gasp. Edison Group? And how'd he know my name?

"How'd you know about all that?!" Seriously, he was freaking me out more than just a little.

He stepped back and sighed. "Well, it's a long story," he ran his fingers through his dark hair. "I used to be normal. Edison Group grabbed a few humans to experiment on, a long while ago. these groups are worldwide cooperation, Edison is just one of their many branches, and they got their hands on some ancient vampire venom." he gave me a tired smile. "That's another story. Look, we need to get out of here first. That counter guy just got off the phone with the police. We'd really better go."

"I'm not going anywhere. And why the hell should I believe you?" Did he really think I was that naive?

"Look, I know this is all really weird, and I don't blame you for not trusting me. But you're gonna have to get outta here sooner or later, and Ed Group isn't going to end itself." he looked at me, and I heard the pleading in his voice. "We need to stop Edison Group, they messed us up, and now it's time to give'em what they deserve."

I couldn't really tell him anything, and , no matter how tempting it was to believe him, I wasn't thoroughly convinced. I whispered to Liz, "Go check downstairs. See if Doug called the police."

she nodded and walked through the wall. The vampire was looking out the window, and I could see the sadness in freakish red eyes. "They took my little sister." he whispered. I didn't say anything, so he continued, "I don't know where she is; she didn't escape with me. Told her I'd be back for her. It's been months."

I opened my mouth to say something, but I closed it again, not finding words. I wanted to comfort him, but I just couldn't. I didn't wanna mess up and get into anymore trouble.

Liz came through the wall and nodded, "He just got off the phone, and he is coming up here."

Oh crap. What now?

"Maybe you should go with him." she said.

"Are you nuts, Liz. For all we know this could be a trap."

"It doesn't seem like it," she said, and pointed to the vamp. He was just standing there, looking out the window. His eyes shimmered, telling me he was on the brink of tears. I sighed, "Fine, I'll come with, but I swear if you try and do _anything _you'll be in for it." I really didn't know what chance I had with a vamp, and honestly, I didn't look very threatening. But now, as with what happened with Ramon, I had to make a decision, even if I didn't know how bad the outcome may be. And I only hoped this would be as right as a decision as mine with Ramon. He smiled and ran up to me with blurring speed "Thank you, oh, and my name is Will"

"Whoa, how'd you-"

"I promise I'll explain everything, but now isn't a good time." He pointed at the door, and I heard footsteps. I bit my lip. "O-ok-kay." I said.

He did the running thing to the window, and opened it. I walked toward him, feeling like jelly.

He jumped out the window and I would've screamed if he hadn't come back up in record time.

"Come on, take my hand." he held out his pale hand to me. I starred at him.

"Trust me?" he said.

I hesitated "Fine, but you have a lot of explaining to do." I didn't bother think how stupid it was to take his hand, and let him jump out the window again, hanging on to me.

We landed perfectly on the soft grass. "Okay, we have to get out of here quick before counter guy comes and sees you gone."

Liz was standing beside me, but I couldn't read her expression. I sighed and prayed that I hadn't made the biggest mistake of my life when he grabbed me again and raced down the freeway; I was about to protest, but his feet were faster than my words.

"Hey, wait up!" I heard Liz call back, but she disappeared as Will traveled like a speeding bullet. It was amazing and terrible at the same time. We traveled a mile in seconds but his scent , mixed the super-fast running, made me nauseous.

"Okay, we are far enough now." he said, looking totally relaxed. I, on the other hand, was breathing hard, as if I was the one running that fast. Sheesh, man can that guy move!

"Ya think?" I told him.

He laughed, and I hoped that it wasn't the 'evil genius' type.

"First I need to find my friend." I said suddenly thinking of Derek. He was gonna kill me when I found him. And hopefully I would.

"Who may that be, Chloe?"

"When, I, uh, caught you feeding, there was someone with me. I need to find him."

"The guy who beat you up?" he tilted his head to the side, "Why would you wanna find him?"

I tensed, "It was an accident, see, he's a werewolf too-"

"Ah," he said, as if he suddenly understood, "Souza? The young werewolf?"

It scared me that he knew so much about us. "Uh, yeah, Derek. That's him. We were heading to Rochester to get the rest of our friends, and somehow find a way to stop all this."

"Rochester? Is that where the main headquarters is?"

"Yeah, and we need to get there as soon as possible."

"Okay, so where can we find Derek?"

I sighed and literally had no idea.

"Well, he sure didn't take the van, the wheel is flat." I said, trying to narrow down possible places.

"Unless he replaced the wheel,"

Damn.

"Okay, this is going to be tough."

I tried, failingly, to think of anywhere where Derek might be. Then it hit me.

"Oh no." I whispered.

"What?" Will asked, confused.

"The Pack."


	11. Chapter 11

It was just an idea, but now it seemed like the only place he would go to. I made him feel like a monster. I provoked him, yes, I admit, to hurt me. But did he want to die? Was he going to frame himself for some kind of man-eating murder? I had no idea. He wasn't dumb. Of course he wasn't. But I couldn't help but think that he would do this. Our lives were falling apart; nothing seemed right anymore. No one could be trusted. Maybe he cracked. Maybe he thought that his life wasn't worth living.

I won't let him do this.

"Chloe, are you listening to me?"

"Huh?"

"What do you mean by ' The Pack'?" Will asked.

I sighed, not really wanting to explain everything now, "There's a Pack of werewolves in Albany. We ran into two 'members'" I made air quotes, "not too long ago, and they wanted Derek."

"'Members? ' " he mimicked my movement. "And why would they want Derek?"

"Well, we entered Pack's territory, who take over the New York state, by accident and these two werewolves who claim their members wanted Derek to frame for man-eating. We ran away but one of them came back for revenge. He joined Ed Group to catch Derek, 'cause it'd be harder to get him than the rest of us, and an adult werewolf would do the job just fine. The other helped us. They both died," I added reluctantly, remembering the awful scene.

Will still looked confused, "Man-eating, gross." he made a gag sign, "Okay, I get that, but why would Derek go there?"

I sighed again in frustration, "He would probably frame himself for the man-eating, and they'd either kill him, or have him join." I paused, "He thinks he's a monster. He got really mad once in a school fight and hurt a boy. Now he can't walk. When he hurt me, as you witnessed," I saw him smile guiltily, " it probably reminded him of that." The more I thought about the possibility of him going, the more convincing it seemed.

"It's likely, but not for sure." I added quickly.

He took it into consideration, "Well, it wouldn't hurt to make sure...." he trailed off in thought. "Where can we find this Pack?" he asked me.

"I-I don't know." Find the Pack? Where the hell are we gonna find them?! I kneaded my forehead in confusion. If Derek was going to go there, we needed to find him.

Fast.

"Well, then how would Derek find them?" he asked. I could see where he was going.

"He would sniff them out." I said. "But how am I going to do that? The Pack could be anywhere in New York!" I walked, hopped the freeway fence, and plopped down on the grass. Will followed, and sat next to me.

"You have to have an idea to where the Pack could be!" Will got up and started to pace, thinking with me. I swore under my breath and tried to think.

Derek first thought the pack was in Syracuse. Liam and Ramon were heading to Syracuse to talk to the-

I jumped up, "That's it!"

Will spun, "What?" he asked urgently.

"The Pack is in Syracuse. I remember that the two werewolves were heading to Syracuse to talk to the Pack." I smiled in relief.

_We're going to find Derek. _My inner voice chimed. _He's gonna be okay._

"We need to get to Syracuse, fast." I said.

"That won't be a problem. I'm familiar with New York. And, well, " he snuck a smile at me, " We can get there pretty fast."

I knew what he was talking about, and I suddenly felt very dizzy. Will laughed. "Unless you'd like to walk-"

I cut him off, "No. We need to get there now."

He chuckled again and grabbed me, "You seem to care a lot about Derek, huh?"

I snorted and surprised myself by my answer, "More than I'm willing to believe."

So we were racing down the freeway, or, at least I thought it was, everything was blurred. I tried not to look at the vague images before me and pressed my head against Will's shoulder, which only made it worse. The strange concentrated smell made me dizzy, and I tried to hold on to my stomach. I didn't think that he would appreciate it if I barfed up my lunch on him.

"You doing okay back there?" he asked. I could picture the grin on his pale face and snorted.

He laughed and started to, impossibly, run faster. "Hey, wanna see something cool?" he asked.

Was this really the time for 'cool' things? I groaned.

"Um, okay, I'll take that as a yes." he chuckled darkly. "Hang on!"

Everything happened so fast, and the world seemed to disappear. My head spun and my stomach turned. I tried to open my eyes, but the air rushing past my face made it nearly impossible. But when I finally managed, it seemed hardly worth the effort. I could see nothing. Nothing. It was all blank; all I could see was Will, smiling so hard that I was afraid that his jaw would pop off. What was happening? I shut my eyes tight and dug my nails into his skin, not that it penetrated or anything. His skin was like rock.

"STOP!" I yelled, and as if I commanded the universe, everything came back into my sight. We were in an alley, dark and damp, unnecessarily reminding me of the depressing nights we'd spent on the streets.

I hurled over and threw up the wonderful lunch Doug had bought me. Will kneeled over me and patted my back. He shook his head sarcastically, "One of the many advantages of not eating," he said. "Are you okay?"

"Does it look like it?"

He flashed his white teeth, "Well, I thought that you'd think that it was cool." he rolled his eyes, "Sor_ry_ for trying to be entertaining."

"You call that cool? "

He shrugged. "I thought it was pretty cool. I call it Blinking. I can travel miles in seconds, completely unnoticed by anyone."

I sighed, trying to save this discussion for later, "Where's the nearest bathroom?"

"There's a gas station on the next block," he answered. "Should have a bathroom in there."

I stood up and swayed a bit, still dizzy from the 'Blinking' thing, or whatever. I found my feet again and started toward the sidewalk, "Okay then, lets go."

It wasn't a long walk; only about five minutes, which I was thankful for. I felt totally disgusted from my barf scene back in the alley, and my super- smelling abilities weren't really helping.

It was dark out, the moon high in the sky illuminating the dimly lit streets. The chilly weather made me shiver. Will had offered me his jacket, but I refused, telling him that his scent would make even more dizzy. Not that I meant any offense. It wasn't his fault that the way he smelt was somewhat repulsing to me. It wasn't even his fault that he was a vampire. Or at least that's what he told me. I wonder what had happened...

We arrived at the gas station, and I hurried inside. The bathroom was extremely small (and not so pleasant) but it would do. It's not like that really mattered at the moment. I turned around to face the mirror and jumped.

My still gross black hair was standing up in all directions, and had some leaves stuck in it, making me look like I came out of the movie _Twister_'s set. I still had some scrapes and cuts on my face, but they were healing, fading into light pink lines, others still scabbing. I had dark circles under my eyes, and my skin was off color. I looked completely emo. I felt a sting of sorrow, looking at my appearance. I shook my head, realizing how shallow I sounded, and I tried to focus on other matters, other than my unattractiveness. I turned on the tap, washed out my hair and cleaned up my face. The warm water felt good on my cold, dry skin. I rinsed my mouth, took one last glum look in the mirror and left the bathroom.

Will was browsing through the snack bar. I walked to him and saw him starring at a Butterfingers candy bar.

"You must really like Butterfingers, huh?" I said, trying to break him out of his trance.

"Yeah, I guess I did." he said. I didn't say anything, so he continued. "This was my favorite snack. It probably sounds weird, but it makes me kinda upset knowing I can't eat them anymore. Makes me want my old life back." he paused, "Correction: It makes me mad that I can't have my old life back. Really mad." His last words came out as a growl, and I couldn't help but back up a really didn't seem to be making any of this up. Maybe I could trust him. Well, I have been trusting him, but with extreme caution. But the way he expressed his emotion; the way he talked about unfair it all was? It was like what happened with Tori. Her expression couldn't be faked. It was just too real. Just like Will's.

"It makes me mad too. I wanted to be a director. But now, from the point I'm standing, it doesn't look like I'm ever gonna make that dream come true."

He looked at me and smiled a bit, "You want to be a director?"

I grinned, "Yeah. And I was so looking forward to become one. Now, well, I just wanna be normal." He didn't say anything, but the unspoken words between us were clear. We all wanted the same thing. Just to be normal. Not to be caught up in this giant mess. Not to be chased and hunted down like animals. Not to be on the streets, looking for a place to spend the night and try to stay warm. Normal.

I exhaled and decided that moaning over the whole 'normal' issue wasn't going to help now. Now, we needed to find Derek, get the others, and end Edison Group.

Easy said then done.

My stomach growled. I looked around and in seeing the wide range of yummy snacks, grabbed my sack. Funny how it didn't fly off of me when we were running. And neither did my necklace. I pulled out ten bucks, just enough for a couple of chocolate bars, three juice boxes and two bags of chips. I handed the money and food to the cashier and looked at my necklace while he checked my items out. It was turning into a deep shade of lavender. I wondered why it kept changing color. Was it's power wearing out? I could only guess.

I put my necklace back inside my shirt, grabbed my 'very healthy snacks' and put all of them into my sack, leaving one Snickers bar to satisfy my rumbling tummy. I walked out of the station with my vampire friend in silence.

"Where are we?" I asked Will, looking at the map in confusion. We were walking along the road, freezing to death. Will didn't seemed bothered by the weather, but I on the other hand felt like my fingers would fall off. The bitter wind blew against my face, flurries tickling my nose.

"East Syracuse." he said. I stopped and looked at him for a second. "What?" he asked.

"How do you know?" I said, the doubt apparent in my tone.

He ran his fingers through his hair and shrugged, "Vamps are just good with directions."

I didn't turn away.

"What?" he asked again, sounding annoyed. He synchronized my expression for a moment, and his face became saddened. "You think that I'm leading you into a trap?"

I blinked, "No, it's just that..."

"Yeah, I get it. No worries." he started to walk, and I caught his arm.

"I trust you, Will. Okay? But please don't make me trusting you the biggest mistake of my life."

He grinned slightly, "Thanks, Chloe."

We started walking again and I sniffed the air, trying to pick up a trace of werewolf. I remember Derek smelling like the forest, a woody and refreshing smell, but with a touch of something I couldn't put my finger on. Something familiar that I recognized deep inside of me, like it had been there my whole life.

_The scent of a werewolf._

"What are you doing?" Will asked. I heard a smile in his voice.

"Sniffing around."

He chortled, "You look like a dog when you do that,"

I frowned at him.

He looked at me and spoke quickly, "Oh! Sorry. No pun intended."

"None taken."

We kept walking. Lights in houses started to go off, and my eyes started to droop when I finally smelled it. Deep, powerful, au fait.

Will's eyes widened, and I guessed that he caught it too.

"There!" we both said automatically, pointing toward the eerie-looking forest.

We walked swiftly, careful to not cause so much attention, until we finally arrived at the opening of a candle-lit cave.


	12. Chapter 12

Sorry for always taking so long to update! School is seriously killing me! I wanna thank all my readers cuz without u guys, I would've thought that i was a terrible writer, being this the first time I actually and seriously write. Thank you all! Your reviews mean so much to me. You guys seriously rock! Hope u like this chappy! Enjoy! :)

~Sarah 3

***********

I looked at Will, only to find him looking back at me. This had to be the place. Who else would have a candle- lit cave in the middle of the forest? Will seemed to read my thoughts , nodded and pointed ahead, telling me that it was okay to continue. I took a step toward the opening, Will right behind me, when I heard the growl of a wolf. I shivered, and stepped back. Will put his hand on my shoulder, and walked ahead of me. I was glad that he was with me. Man, I felt stupid for being a totally sissy. I mean, I was one of them. Wasn't I? I looked at Will again. He seemed extremely worn out. He had dark circles around his eyes, and his skin looked a bit pale. Okay, he usually was extremely pale. But now... It just seemed a bit off.

He kneeled and put his lips to my ear. His voice was a bit unsteady, and he was breathing hard. "I'm gonna look around the opening." he paused to take a breath. "If I yell, run away as fast as you can,"He straightened up, gave me one last frightful look, and ran off before I could protest. I was pissed that he didn't let me go. I didn't think that the Pack would hurt me. I was a werewolf after all. Nevertheless, I was scared. And, cowardly, I didn't follow after Will. But my mind objected. My inner self was screaming at me, telling me that it was hard enough to know that Derek could be in there. And that he could be in serious trouble. But before I could take a step closer, I heard Will yell, "Go!"

I cracked. Mind over matter. I knew that I wasn't going to listen to Will. I couldn't. Derek could be in there. He could be in trouble. Hell, if he was in there he definitely was in trouble. And that was all I could think of. I darted toward the echo of Will's voice. It wasn't long until I found him, and when I did, I froze.

A Pack member was gripping Will throat, laughing moronically. I took a better look at them, and I jumped, but not because I was scared of the werewolf. No.

I was scared of Will.

His eyes were rimmed with black, making his skin look even paler than it had been a few moments ago. He was breathing deeply, trying to restrain himself from the werewolf's blood. Will could've easily killed him, but he couldn't. He didn't want to be a monster.

"Will?" I whispered, hardly audible.

"Will? Is that what this bloodsucking vermin is called?" the werewolf growled. "You're not even supposed to exist, you fucking leech. Our race finished you of centuries ago." I flinched. What did he mean by that?

"What?" I whispered.

The werewolf looked at me for the first time. His face was scarred. Everywhere. His black hair was long, down to his shoulders, and he was strongly built. He took a long, distinct sniff, and his eyes widened.

"A werewolf? A _female_ werewolf?"

I felt uncomfortable. Was that bad? Or even normal? I didn't say anything.

Great, I'm even more of a total freakazoid.

"Go, Chloe." Will snarled at me. His voice was deep and raspy. And very, very frightening.

I would've listened if it wasn't for that other part of me. The smarter one. "No." I said strongly. Will wasn't a monster. Well, _I_ didn't think he was. He proved that much to me.

"Leave," Will said through his teeth.

The werewolf interrupted, "I don't think so _William_. I'm taking her to the Alpha."

What? I shuddered and stepped back. What was he going to do to me? The chainsaws?

No. That was fake. Or at least Derek and I had established that.

He grabbed my arm forcefully, still gripping Will's throat with his other hand.

"Let. Go. Of. Her." Will hissed. He lunged for the werewolf's throat, but he was faster. The werewolf threw me across the narrow opening of the cave and smacked Will to the ground, causing the walls to crash down on us. Something hit me on my head, and the last thing I saw was the werewolf starring down at me with awe.

* * *

I woke up disoriented. I couldn't really understand what was going on, or where I was. I opened my eyes, squinting in the darkness. It was no use. Everything was blurry.

After several moments of just laying there, I sat up on my elbows, and felt a sudden dreadful pain in my head, so I plopped back down on the hard surface.

Okay, if I couldn't get up, I might as well try and think about what happened.

I remember me with Will, at a cave. We were looking for Derek.

_Derek. _

That's right. We were looking for Derek. We were going to the Pack because I thought that Derek might be there. We were in a hurry.

A sudden flashback of a werewolf clenching Will's neck flashed in my mind.

So we were in trouble, I guess. The walls crashed down, and I passed out.

I needed to get up. I struggled a bit, whenI started to hear voices in the distance.

"She's waking up," familiar voice said. I heard foot steps coming in my direction, and I tried to move away. Strong arms grabbed me and lifted me up. Will.

"Chloe? Are you okay?" He put me in his lap, and started pushing my hair off my face.

"W-what?" I asked groggily.

"It's okay. You're okay. Everything is going to be alright." he whispered.

I opened my eyes. It was dark. Very dark. But, on the other hand, I could see in the dark. I widened my eyes.

We were in a cell of some sort. I sat up, trying to get everything in view. My head hurt, but it wasn't as bad as before. I felt for a wound. Something was wrapped around my head, soaked in blood. Crap. Blood had run down my face, and dried up in the period where I had been unconscious.

"Chloe, you really shouldn't sit u-"

"I'm fine," I cut in. I looked at him in the eerie darkness. "What happened?" I paused, and in remembering how he looked like when I last saw him, I backed away.

"Y-you'r-re thirst-ty" I stuttered softly.

"_Was _Chloe." he corrected.

"You drank?" When? How? How long had I been out?

He chuckled without humor, "I found a rat."

Okay, gross. Seriously gross. I looked around, and saw a pile of a few dead rats in the corner of the cellar. I made a look of disgust. "A _rat_?"

"Okay fine, rat_s,"_

I made a gag sign.

"Hey," he said, "You gotta do whatcha gotta do to survive." He leaned back on the wall, laughing. I honestly didn't find it that funny.

"Where's Derek?" I asked urgently, "Is he here?"

Will sighed, "Yeah, he's in the next cell. They are deciding what to do with him. Shouldn't be long now. You've been out for a good couple hours." he paused, "They seem real interested in you, The Pack." he said distantly.

My eyes watered. Derek was in the next cell. I went to the wall, and put my hand on it, "Derek's in there?" I asked softly.

"No. Other wall." he pointed to the wall opposite to the one I was standing at. He chortled silently. I put my hands on my face and plopped down on the cold dirt ground. Derek was here, and they might kill him. And it was my fault. I sat and cried hopelessly, salt water staining my shirt.

Will came, sat down and put his arm around me. I looked up and glared at him, "Does he know I'm here?"

"No." he said.

I sat up, "And why haven't you done anything!?"

"I couldn't. The door's pretty tough. I could only dent it." He gestured at the door not to far from where I was sitting. "And I only caught a glimpse of Derek. I saw him in the cell next to us when they were putting us in this one." He looked at me with caring eyes, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry's not going to do anything now," I said.

"I know, but I'm sorry anyway."

We sat in silence.

A couple hours passed. Will was asleep, snoring loudly. He was lucky. I was exhausted, but my worrying mind kept me up. I really hoped that this would turn out okay. I sighed and felt despondent. What if things didn't turn out okay?

My pessimistic thoughts were interrupted when I heard the creek of a door open. My heart beat fast in my chest. I looked at our door; it wasn't open. I concentrated and could make out some voices,

"Get out here Souza, and suck it up a bit, will ya? Sheesh. It'll all be over soon,"

The door slammed and I heard their footsteps becoming more distant.

"Will? Will! Wake up!" I shook him. He mumbled something I couldn't understand. "Will! Get up you lazy vampire." He smiled, eyes still closed, "You betcha."

I rolled my eyes, shaking, "Will come on! They took Derek out of his cell. Come on! We have to help him!"

He stood up and yawned, stretching out his arms, "I gotta say, this isn't the most comfortable way to sleep. To think they'd give us pillows or something. Jeez, some hospitality." he yawned again, "What's that about Derek?"

I was already up and walking toward the door. I banged at it. "Come on you stupid door! Open!"

"Let me try," Will said. He stood at the door and spoke in a loud important voice, "Open sesame!" he said.

"You idiot!" I yelled and pushed him to the side. I was surprised to see him stumble. "Can't you take anything seriously?" I banged at the door again, tears spilling over. "Open up! Please o-op-pen. Please." My loud, piercing voice died into whispers, and my fierce bangs turned into taps. Will put his hand on my shoulder. I shook it off.

"Step back," he said.

"N-no," I choked out. "The g-guy I l-love is out there, a-and they're gonna k-kill him. I'm gonna d-die trying to open this d-door, and you just stay a-away."

I had finally admitted it. I loved Derek. I knew it all along, I just didn't have the heart to say it. And now, being here, both of us in mortal danger, I could finally say it. And I might not even get to tell him. I let out another heart-retching sob, when Will gently pushed me aside. I didn't protest; everything felt hopeless. I heard an ear splitting _bang! . _One moment he was there, the next moment... gone. And the door with him.

I ran out of the opening and hugged him tightly, "Thanks," I said, and quickly let go.

"A-anytime," he said dizzily. "W-we'd bet-"

He saw me already running, and followed after me, "I can get us there faster," he said. He grabbed me and ran. As much as I'd like too, on normal conditions, to see the Pack's main region. But these were not normal conditions. In seconds we were at the entrance of the main chamber. We leaned over just enough so we could see what was going on. I gasped, and Will put his hand to my mouth, shushing me wordlessly.

The main chamber was dark and somewhat formal, with candles lit at every corner of the large room. The walls were draped with black fabric, making the room look even darker. The ground here was also earth, but it had beautiful mysterious patterns drawn on every inch of it. On it stood the members, who were all crowded around the Alpha. He was sitting on a large fancy chair. The Alpha looked blood- curdling. His hair was dark, but cut short, similarly to Will's. His eyes were a cruel and piercing blue, vibrant in contrast with his tan skin. He had a black cloak on, just like the other members. He also had a strange marking on his face, one that I couldn't make out. And in the midst of it all, Derek was kneeling head down to the Alpha. I swallowed hard. He looked horrible. His clothes were all ripped up, his hands shaking with fear. Tears spilled over once again, wetting Will's stone like hand. I squeezed my eyes shut so I could clear up my vision. When I opened them, Derek had his head lifted.

I saw his face. There was no sign of regret. He was scared, I could tell, but didn't regret it. I fidgeted in Will's arms, but he just held me closer, starring at the death scene to be. No. It couldn't be. I _wouldn't_ let it be. Derek couldn't die. I wouldn't let him! I tried to pull away from Will, but his hands wouldn't budge. I wriggled and squirmed until I broke free, Will's hands clutching the air, trying to take hold of me again. He yelled my name, but it was too late. I ran into the main chamber, stopping just feet away from Derek. He turned his head and his eyes widened. He looked at me incredulously, and stood up speechless.

The Alpha stood, making a dramatic effect. "What is this!?" he said, making the room shake.

Derek ran up, trembling, and hugged me tight, his fingers knotting in my hair. "Chloe," he whispered.

I couldn't help but well up again. My tears streaked down my cheek, but Derek wiped them before they fell. "Chloe," he whispered again. "How'd you-"

"Shush, not now," I said. He hugged me tighter, "I'm so sorry," he whispered, "I'm so _so_ sorry."

I looked up into his beautiful green eyes, now filled with tears, "Please don't say it like you're saying goodbye," I choked out.

"Get her out of here!" the Alpha yelled, "And kill the boy!"


	13. Chapter 13

**_*Another HUGE shout out to all my readers! Love you guys! Sorry for it being short!*_**

**_~ Sarah H. _**

"No!" I yelled, my voice strong and steady. "

"Quiet, Chloe!" Derek whispered in my ear. He held me closer, shielding me from the Alpha's piercing eyes. I could feel his heart pounding against his chest.

"I won't let them kill you, Derek!" I whispered frantically back. Did he still want to die? What the hell was his problem?

"Beta, get the girl!" the Alpha yelled.

I looked at whom the Alpha called Beta. Beta? So there's a Beta now? I peered around; there were around ten werewolves in the chamber, all massive and sinister looking. We were obviously out numbered. Would we make it?

"Stay away from her!" Derek growled. He held me so tight that I was almost sure my lungs would burst. He looked at me and must of seen my face turning into a ominous shade of blue, because he loosened his grip immediately. "Sorry," he mumbled.

The Beta tore across the chamber, fists ready, with a menacing scowl on his face. Derek completely let go of me, and hit him hard in the face, blood splattering across the beautiful floor. Other members braced themselves for a good fight and ran towards Derek.

What do I do, what do I do, what do I do!? I couldn't just stand there!

Will ran into the chamber, and took down a good couple of werewolves. Derek was struggling with the Beta, and the Alpha just stood there, watching the whole was scene like a movie.

A werewolf came running towards me. I sucked in a scream, knowing that if I did, Derek or Will would come to my defense, and they pretty much had their hands full at the moment. And I did not want to be defended. Something inside me wanted to take him down. I wanted to do something. I had to do something. Yes, it was stupid, but something told me that it was the right way to go. I psyched myself up, ready for the sure pain I was about to face, when I automatically hit him hard, and when I say hard, I really mean hard. I heard a disgusting crack, and he toppled forward, rubbing his jaw and moaning at the pain.

Wait, did I just do that?

I starred at my bloody fist in wonder. How did I do that? I don't remember working out; and my arms were just too weak. Was this part of my new werewolf powers? Whoa. Cool? I didn't know what to think.

But I couldn't help but smile. I felt...strong. Powerful even. Really powerful. Even though I was a bit creeped out from all this werewolf stuff, it kinda felt good. And now, it was a perfect time to put my super awesome werewolf powers to use.

In breaking from my weird trance, another member came at me. I heard Derek and Will yell my name in the distance, but now I was in a totally different place. I was in the groove, with my inner wolf, taking down whoever tried to mess with me. I took a swing, and punched him hard on his face, making him stumbled the slightest. He raised his fist slowly, for the intended suspense, but I quickly kicked him in the groin, making him wince. His face twisted with anger, and punched me hard in the face.

Everything started to blur.

_No! Fight it, you idiot!, _my inner self screeched. I groaned in annoyance.

I tried to steady myself, and just as I found my feet, he took another swing. I dodged it, and sent my fist flying en route to his face, breaking his nose. He tumbled backward and hit the ground. Derek ran to me, and I could tell that he hid a smile.

"Wow," he said with amazement.

"Yeah, I guess it is kinda 'wow'," I said, stifling a giggle. He starred at me with his bright green eyes, and I couldn't help but look at them. They shone with so much emotion, I almost cried.

This couldn't be the end.

"Uh, guys, problem here." Will said from the distance. I broke away from Derek's stare, and looked around me.

They were everywhere. We were surrounded by the Pack. Oh crap.

The Alpha stood in the circle that his Pack made around us, and smiled wickedly.

"Take out the trash," he said.

"No," I whispered. I put my shaking hand to my mouth. Derek put his arm around me, holding me close to his body, and whispered things I couldn't understand.

"What's that you say?" the Alpha said, his piercing eyes almost stinging me.

The Alpha walked toward me, slowly, creating a rush of fear through me. He leaned forward, "It seems as if you know this _man-eater._" he said the word with disgust. "Why would a special little girl like you know a man-eater?"

"He is not a m-man eater." I said irritably, but, nevertheless, the fear apparent in my voice.

"No? Do you have proof?"

I starred at him, his blue eyes blazing. I chewed on my lip, shaking nervously. No, I didn't have proof. I looked up at Derek. He was starring into the distance, any hope had left, simply blown away. I tried to concentrate on a finding a strategy, a plan, an excuse. Anything to get us out of here. Alive.

"Seems like you don't," the Alpha said, the sarcastic sadness heavy in his deep voice.

I had to think of something, fast. They were going to kill Derek, possibly Will, and me? I had no idea what they would do with me.

"My friend has no b-business here. This is a whole m-misunderstanding. P-please h-here us out." I said. I cursed at myself for stuttering.

The Alpha looked at me, and for a second, I thought that he would just kill us there and now, judging by the look on his face. He walked around the circle slowly. I needed to do something. If I ever needed a miracle, it was now.

I closed my eyes tightly, and tried to concentrate. Maybe, just maybe, there were dead bodies under the ground here. I prayed there were.

I made mental images of bodies under the ground here, and pictured myself stuffing their souls back into their bodies. It was cruel, but I had to do something. And after not so much time, the ground under us started to shake.

"Wha-" the Alpha said sounding confused. I smiled and concentrated harder, picturing corpses rising from the dead, digging through the dirt, until they reached the surface.

And that's exactly what happened.

Around... twelve zombie things crawled out of the ground, moaning from the pain I put them through. Guilt washed over me, but since they were here, I might as well make use out of them.

"Get them," I told the zombies, pointing toward the members who had formed the circle and the Alpha. The zombies nodded hesitantly, and another wave of guilt hit me. They attacked the werewolves, but of course, the zombies were no match for them. But they would give us just enough time to get out of here. "It's the necromancer!" some of the werewolves screamed. I ignored them and signaled for Will and Derek to head toward the exit. They both starred at me.

"Go!" I said. They nodded quickly and ran. I took one last glance at the perfect zombie movie scene and followed after.

We ran through the intricate halls of the Pack's cave. How big was this place? There were so many rooms and passageways. And finally, after what seemed like forever, we came to the opening.

But we weren't that lucky.

The opening was blocked by the walls that had collapsed when the werewolf smacked Will to the ground.

"Shit!" Will said. Derek didn't say anything, but automatically started to move the rocks out of the way. I had a better idea.

"Will, Blink!"

He looked at me and hit himself on his forehead, and muttered something about being a total jackass. "Duh!" he said.

Derek looked confused, "What-"

"Explanation later," I said quickly, "Back up, Derek!"

Will went into a racing position, when I started to hear voices, "Hurry up, Will!" I yelled.

"Okay, okay, jeez." he said. And he disappeared through the rocks that covered the opening with a loud _crunch!_.

He made just enough space for a person to squeeze through.

"You go first, Chloe." Derek said.

I didn't hesitate. I wedged myself through the just-big-enough opening and I suddenly felt the cold, blowing air on my face. I saw Will tripping all over himself, dizzy from the impact, and couldn't help but smile. I looked back at the opening to find Derek frantically trying to squeeze through the small crevice. He was too big. Damn it!

I grabbed his arm and tried to pull him through, but he wouldn't budge. Their voices became closer.

_Get them!_ I commanded in my mind. _Come on! _

I started to hear the hint of the moaning from the zombies, and the annoyance of the Pack. That'd buy us five minutes time.

Tops.

I pulled harder on Derek, desperately trying to yank him through. Sweat dripped down my face, the cool wind making me shiver.

"Chloe, leave! They're coming!"

"Are you nuts!? Shut up and help me!" I said angrily.

"It's no use! Save yourself."

"Shut the hell up Derek and help me here!"

_Get back up and fight them!_ I commanded in my mind.

"Will! A little help here?!" I shouted back at him. He was still trying to regain his balance.

I sighed in frustration and in fear. "Derek come on!"

I looked despairingly around, attempting to find something, anything to help me get Derek out. Nothing.

I would dig him out then.

I grabbed some loose rocks around the opening, causing others to topple over, making a larger crevice. A rock tumbled over and hit Derek squarely on the head.

"Shit!" He yelled, and his blood spilled over.

At least he could squeeze out now. I tugged on his arm one last time and he flew through the now larger opening. He got up and hugged me tight once again. "Chloe, I-"

"Not now." I said quickly, "We need to get out of here." I broke hesitantly from his embrace and looked at his head. Blood was dripping down his face. I put my hand on the wound.

"It's okay, I'll heal fast." he said, putting his hand on top of mine.

I nodded stiffly and went for Will.

"Will, come on, we gotta go!"

Derek followed up after me. "We're taking_ him_ with us?

"Yes,Derek, he's coming." He looked confused. "I'll explain everything, just not now." I told him. He grunted, which I assumed as a yes, and we hurried on into the forest.

"I have the van. It's right about-"

I saw it, nodded, and hurried toward it. It was parked in the middle of the forest, hidden from anyone's view. Derek went up to the window and broke the window with his fist. He grabbed the keys that we lying on the driver's seat and unlocked the door. I jumped in the passenger seat and stuffed Wobbly Will into the back seat. And we drove off, far, far away.


	14. Chapter 14

Sorry again for the delay. Just read the new chapter from The Reckoning, and let's give a huge thanks to Kelley A. for the early book release! :D YAY!

Anyway, hope you like this chapter! Enjoy and don't forget to review! You guys inspire me so much! A big hug to all my readers! I heart you guys!

~ Sarah H.

Will was steady now, but Derek was getting light-headed from all the bleeding; I could tell. Well, anyone could; he kept steering away from the road, his bright eyes drooping slowly. I begged him to stop and rest, but he kept brushing it off, saying that he would heal quick, "It's nothing, Chloe." he would say, "Plus we need to get far enough so that they won't be able to trace us." I eventually sighed and gave up. It was mostly a waste of anyone's time to argue with Derek. He almost always had his way.

I didn't turn away from Derek though; I kept my eye on him, just in case. I couldn't help but feel electrified, delightfully, when he looked back at me and smiled. And, if I looked close enough, I could see the slightest hint of a blush on his face. At those times, I would just forget everything around me, and see him, only him, as if he was the only one who my eyes wanted to see.

_This is ridiculous, you've only known him for a month, give or take._

_It doesn't matter, _I replied back.

_Did you forget about Simon? What would he do if he found out that you fell for his brother?_

_He won't care... much. _

_Plus Derek probably only thinks of you as a good friend._

I couldn't argue with that. He never said he loved me. Maybe I was just taking this too far. Maybe being stuck in this mess just made me want to be loved. Maybe. And yet...

I pushed that thought aside for later. Other things mattered more now than my non-existent love life.

I sighed and tried to think of something useful to do. Well, it was probably a good time to get caught up with Will.

"Will, this might be a good time to, uh,"

"Explain?" he said, rising his brow.

"Yeah,"

Derek straightened, "You brought this guy without knowing anything about him?" he said harshly.

"Derek.." I growled. Now wasn't the time the judge. And I trusted Will. Right?

_Do you? _my inner voice said.

_Yes_, I said to myself, surer of my answer, _I did. _

"That's right, Derek, play nice. You can trust me." Will teased.

"Yeah well, uh, William, right?"

He shuddered,"Will, Willy, Werido Vamp guy, whatever. Just. Not. _William. _Too grossly formal." he said, shaking his head in disgust.

"Uh, right. Whatever. So, why should we trust you? Out of my better sense, I should just kick you to the curb this instance."

"Well, wolf boy," Derek growled at the name, "I just helped saved your sorry ass. And frankly, if I'm not mistaken, I don't think mistrusted people do that kinda thing."

Derek shrugged, "Better safe than sorry." he said simply, slowing the van down.

"Derek, stop being an ass. Will was a human, but captured by Ed Group and made into a vampire."

His eyes widened, and he looked at Will, "Tell us what you know." he said.

"Not with that attitude, no,"

Derek stopped the car, "Tell us what you know." he snarled.

"Fine, sheesh, can't a guy joke?" he paused, "Okay, long story? Or short and sweet?" he asked.

"Long." Derek and I said at the same time. The more details the better. I maneuvered into a more comfortable position, bracing myself for the long story.

"So I was just pickin' up my little sister from daycare on some weekend," Will started, "when this dude comes up and starts messing with me, asks us if want a ride. Yeah right, I'm not that dumb. So I pick a fight, and he stabs us with some needle. I passed out. Woke up a day later. I look around and I'm suddenly in some lab thing, tied down to a bed with chains. But I didn't feel right. I felt _thirsty_. _Really_ thirsty." he paused again, and Derek and I didn't say anything.

He continued not so long after, "It was horrible. Like my whole body was dried up. I guess someone realized by then that I had waken up, 'cause a guy in a lab coat came running in. It only made the thirst worse. I _needed_ his blood. I never wanted anything so much in my life. I found myself breaking the chains that tied me down and... I...," he hesitated for a second, "I killed him." he sighed and looked out the window. I turned my head to face Derek, who looked like he was about to say something. I elbowed him, signaling to for him to shut up and let Will continue. He nodded the slightest.

It was awkward in the silence, but, then again, it was brief.

"Yeah, so after that mess was cleaned up, and I calmed down, they told us of about project of their's; they called it Project Xavier. We were apparently the test subjects, all innocent humans, minding their own business, when their lives suddenly change when some creeps come out from nowhere and kidnap us. My sister was scared out of her mind. And after a month of staying at the facility, she went crazy. Mad. They locked her up. And thats when me and the other members decided to break out.

We all did our part, eight of us in all, not including my sister. We snuck into the computers, searched for files and eavesdropped on the scientists' conversations. And, man, let me tell you, what we found was some interesting shit."

"The Red-eyes?" Derek asked.

"Huh?" I said. What were the red eyes?

Derek looked at me, "My dad told me the story; the history of vampires."

"You know the story?" Will asked.

"Hell yeah."

"Edison Group found the venom."

"No way! How? Where?"

" In Northern Canada,"

I cut in before they got too deep into the conversation."Uh, does anyone mind explaining?"

Derek and Will suddenly started at the same time. I scrunched up my face in confusion. They both sighed.

"You go," Derek said, "You probably know more about it than me,"

"Well, I dunno, but I'll say what I found," he took a deep breath, "Well, no one knows when exactly, but a long time ago, a vampire emerged from the ground. No one knows where he came from, but when he, Xavier, found out how weak the other species, humans, could be, he took advantage. He became a Ruler. Everyone in the area feared him. They called him a Red-eye, for well, the reason is obvious. So, he tortured and killed humans for pleasure. People got sick of it, so they turned against Xavier, the Red-eye, and fought him.

They didn't win, of course, but rather, Xavier discovered the power of his venom. From the venom of one vampire, another could be born. Again, he took that as another advantage. He created armies, of thousands of vampires, and together, they took over. "

And that's were the werewolves came in. They were the only supernatural race that were strong enough to take them down. It was said that other races helped as well, but the werewolves were the main fighters. The Packs in the area united and fought Xavier and his Red-eyes, and after three years of war and turmoil, the Red-eyes were destroyed, forever.

But Xavier left something behind, just incase. He warned the people that his race would return. He left his venom, and hid it in a secret place. Edison Group found that venom, strengthened it, and injected it into humans for study. I was the strongest of the subjects, so they picked me to break out and get help. So here I am."

"But that still doesn't explain how you knew about the Genesis Project." I said.

"We got information on some other projects too. Edison Group is trying to get a handle on the Genesis experiment, so it had the most talk, "

I sat back into my seat, trying to take in everything Will said. We had a much, _much_ bigger problem. And I didn't know how we could fix it.

"We need to break the rest of them out." I said. "We need to break everyone out; all of Ed Group's subjects."

Derek nodded, "Yeah, but now we know that's there are branches, possibly all over the country. How are we gonna stop _all_ of them?"

"Easy," Will said, "We break the subjects out, going from one facility to the next, and declare war. We're much stronger than them, so we'll win, and bam! The supernaturals all live happily ever after!"

Derek and I glared at him. "This is not a fairytale, Will." Derek said bleakly.

"But it's still a good a idea, so to speak." I added.

Derek looked at me," Are you forgetting that most of the scientists are supernaturals too, who actually have experience? And are all full grown?"

"Do you see a better plan?" Will and I said at the same time.

Derek sighed, "Let's just focus on phase one, okay? We'll get Simon, Tori and Rae, and take it from there. Agreed?"

Well, he had a point. Again. "Agreed." I said. "Will?"

"Yeah, whatever. Agreed."

"Good," Derek said, "Chloe, you still got that map?"

"Yeah, it's my ba-" Wait, where was my bag? I spun and looked around the van. Oh crap, I left it in the Pack's cave.

"Dammit! I left it in the cave! Dammit, dammit, dammit!" I punched the door with each curse. I had money and the map in there. And food.

Derek sighed, "I still have some left over cash in my pocket. We can get a map and some food. But as far as gas goes..."

"No need for a map. I've got one hardwired in my brain."

Derek starred at him for a while, "Huh?"

"Let's just say vampires are good with directions." I said. I spun and looked at Will ,"Can you take us to Rochester?"

"Yup." Will said as he started to get out of the car.

"Where are you going?" Derek asked in annoyance. He apparently didn't like this guy.

"Driver's seat. Get out of there wolf boy."

"Excuse me? I'm dr-"

"Derek," I growled. Derek turn back to look at me and sighed deeply.

"Fine, but if you take us anywhere that's not the grocery store or Rochester, I'll beat the living crap-"

"Yeah yeah, sure." Will said, brushing it off. But I heard the hurt in his voice. Derek jumped out of the car and into the back seat. Will slid into Derek's place and winked at me. I snorted, and he chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Derek asked disgruntled.

"Nothing," Will said, hiding a smile, as he started the engine.

It was when we barely reached two miles when I gasped suddenly and fell back into my seat.

"Chloe!" Derek yelled from the back. Will accidentally sped up in surprise and turned to the side of the highway, braking just before we hit a tree.

I was breathing hard, but I didn't know why. There was plenty air. My heart beat fast and my head spun. What was happening?

"Chloe? Chloe! Are you okay? What happened?"

"I- I ca- can't brea-" I sputtered.

Derek jumped out of the car. "Get her into the back seat!" Derek shouted over to Will.

Will got out of the car and yanked open my door, almost breaking it off. He grabbed me and slid me into the back seat. I yelled in pain. Derek slid in next to me and put my head in his lap. I gasped and fought for breath. Derek held me closer.

"C-Chloe, I think you might be Changing-"

"Wha-!"

"Shh. It's going to be okay," He said softly. But his soft words weren't calming me down. I could hear the fear in his voice.

I started to cough up blood. Crimson splattered on my shirt and on Derek's jeans, staining them with it's ominous color. Red tears streaked down my cheeks and yelled in pain. Derek stroked my hair continuously, murmuring things I couldn't understand. I felt him shaking underneath me.

"Will, we need to get her help! Something's not right! It's not right!" I heard him yell distantly. My body started to feel numb. Derek squeezed my hand tightly.

"It's okay." He whispered, but I knew it wasn't. Something wasn't right. " I'm gonna be here like you were for me. I promise."

Finally, Derek couldn't take it anymore. He took off his jacket, draped it over me, and swept me into his arms. He got out of the car, me clinging to him tightly not that that was necessary; he was already holding me close. The cold wind stung my face. White powder was falling from the sky. Snow?

"Will! We need help!"

"I know! But even if I could, the chances of help being a supernatural is pretty much hopeless!" Will yelled in frustration.

"I don't care!" Derek retorted. "Get help!"

"I can't!"

My body felt like it was fading. Like... it was disappearing. I took a deep breath, but I felt no air rush into my lungs.

"Wait!" Will said, "Look at Chloe!"

A blurred image of Derek flashed before my eyes. "Chloe?" he said, his voice fading rapidly.

I saw his face turn to Will. "Where's Chloe?!"


	15. Chapter 15

**_Another HUGE hug to all my readers! More than a hundred reviews! Omg, I seriously didn't think people would like this story so much. So a huge thank you and hope you keep reading, cuz there's lots more to come! Love you guys! Seriously, all of you rock! Happy reading! _**

**_PS Feel free to PM me for any side comments or suggestions! I'd love to hear some ideas! And, well, I'm bored. _**

**_Oh yeah, I completely forgot to do the disclaimer thingy, so I guess I'll say it now _**

**_I do NOT own DP, and never will *giggles* _**

**_~ Sarah_**

* * *

I lay on the white ground, feeling weightless. I tried to take deep breaths. But I wasn't breathing. No familiar rush of air filled my lungs. Then how was I alive?

Was I... Could I possibly be... dead?

"Derek?" I yelled through the darkness.

"Chloe? Chloe! Where are you? Are you okay? Wha-"

"Derek!" I shouted before he could drown me with questions. He could hear me. Okay, so I wasn't dead. That was always a plus. But it didn't mean that I was okay. "I'm fine- er- well, better anyways. Something's wrong though."

"Chloe, where the hell are you? I can't see you!"

"Chloe?" Will called out. "Chloe, where are you?"

"I'm coming, hold on." I said. Sheesh, how could they not see me? They both had heightened night vision, and I was practically beside Derek.

I walked up to the both of them, my hand on my hips, a sarcastic expression on my face, "See? I'm right here. So now that that shocking truth is settled, we can leave."

Derek was looking around, "Where are you?" he asked in frustration. Will squinted in the darkness.

"I'm right here!" I yelled as I waved my hand in front of them. I looked at Derek, who was still trying to find me. God, was he seriously that blind? I touched his arm....

....but it went right through.

"Hey, what was that?" Derek said, brushing his arm off.

"What the hell?" I said. I touched him again, my hand only penetrating through him again. "Oh. My. God."

"Chloe?" he said for the millionth time, peering out through the black sky.

Will walked over in front of Derek, taking my place. He leaped away, almost cringing, "Whoa," he said, "What was_ that_?"

"Uh, g-guys?" I touched Derek's hand, but this time he didn't let go. He simply starred at it incredulously, wondering how it was possible. He looked up and his eyes met mine, though he couldn't see them.

He didn't say anything for a while, just starring at what he couldn't see. I couldn't count the endless moment he'd spent just starring, wondering if it was really possible. "I-I think ..." he said, but then looked away for a moment, possibly trying to take it all in, "You did a different kind of Change. You Changed into...a..a..spirit."

"Awesome!" Will added from behind. How I wanted my fist in his face.

"A w-what-t?" How was that possible? I looked down at the ground, the mossy grass painted in white. I was hovering just above it.

I thought that I was about to barf.

"I think your necromancer genes mutated with your werewolf genes. Maybe, but I'm not sure. Not sure at all." He took a deep breath and blew out. I would've done the same thing, if I could breath at the moment. My whole body felt empty; weightless. I was the very likely the first one of my kind. And I didn't know how I could handle anymore of this crap.

I was a genetically altered necromancer who was bitten by a werewolf and instead of Changing into a wolf I... Changed into a.... spirit thing? With the bionic senses to go with it. Nothing I've ever seen in a movie all my life; much less heard of.

"-back." I heard Derek say.

"What?" I was so lost in thought I hadn't heard him.

"I was saying that we probably need to find out more of this new... ability of yours. But now, since we know nothing, it would be better to change back." He cocked his head to the side, "You okay?" he asked softly.

Was I? I hated being who I am. I hated being in this mess. I hated having uncontrollable powers. I hated being the first of my kind. I hated and hated and hated so on and so forth. The list wouldn't end. I was a supernatural. Danger was a part of me. It followed me where ever I went. I could not run and I couldn't hide. I didn't want this life.

"Chloe?" He asked again softly. Will walked to stand beside Derek, looking out into space, bewildered at my Change, but nevertheless amazed. "You there, Chloe?" Will asked.

Derek's hand reached out and went right through me. He flinched the slightest, but moved his hand to meet mine, as if he could plainly see it.

"It'll be okay. We'll figure this out." He said.

"I know," I said, "We will." But I didn't really know. I didn't think we could. Will reached his hand out just as Derek did, "And I'll help."

I couldn't help but giggle, "Yeah, what would we be without you, Will?" I said.

He grinned widely,"That's me! Werido vamp guy!"

We all laughed, but it was short. Even though, I enjoyed the bright personality Will had. I couldn't imagine being that giddy after all that's happened to him. He reminded me of Liz.

Which also reminded me that I'd lost her.

_I'll find her later _I thought.

"Okay," I said, breaking the awkward silence, "Good question: How do I Change back?"

Derek pulled his hand away, and ran his fingers through his hair. "I- I don't know.."

"Then how did you do it?" I asked him.

He hesitated, "It just sorta happened I guess. I felt like it was...time."

Will cut in, "Maybe if you think about being human. Like, I dunno, concentrate on being solid and whatnot."

Derek thought about and shrugged,"It's worth a try." he looked at me, "Chloe?" he said, making sure I was still there.

"Yeah?"

"I think it's a good idea-"

"Of course it's a good idea. It's genius!" Will yelled, cutting in again.

"Right, well maybe it's like your necro powers. Just concentrate on summoning yourself."

"I guess... but Derek?"

"What?"

"W-what if I c-can't Ch-change back?" I asked, my voice far from steady. The thought made my heart drop. What of I stayed like this? Forever?

"No." he said quickly, "You will. Just try."

I sighed and tried to concentrate. I thought about feeling the cold air against my face, the snow falling on my pitch-black hair. I thought about smelling the forest, how fresh and good it smelled, about the cascade of the moist cool air filling my lungs. I thought about.. being solid and whatnot, as Will put it.

I gasped and fell back.

"Chloe?!" Derek yelled, sounding helpless. "Chloe are you okay?!"

"I-I'm- fi- ne." I said between pants. I yelled in pain, feeling the world of senses coming back. I started to feel the cold snow underneath me, but my body gave up, leaving me between human and spirit.

Derek walked over to me cautiously, seeing the faint outline of my body. He kneeled down and looked at me in the eye, which was just hardly visible. "Chloe, please, you have to try again."

"B-but I c-can-n't!" I said breathlessly.

"Yes you can. Just use your mind." He put his hand on my shoulder. I winced and he immediately let go. "I'm here for you," He whispered softly.

My cheeks burned red, and I hope that I was transparent enough for that to go unnoticed.

I went back to summoning my body. I focused my mind on how it nice it would be to feel the snow again after so long. I pictured Derek holding my hand, the unusual warmth of his fingers entwining into mine. I imagined the wonderful scents I could smell, and the not so good ones. And slowly, with Will and Derek hovering over me, hearing the heart-wrenching gasps I took and the yells of pain, my body came back and I plopped down on the soft snowy ground taking deep refreshing breaths.

"Thank God," Derek whispered and took me in his arms. "It's going to be okay, Chloe. We'll figure this out."

"I know," I said.

Will put his stone-like hand on my shoulder, "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm good." I said steadily.

"We should probably rest," Derek said. I widened my eyes,

"No! We have to get to Rochester! Pronto!"

"We'll never get there fast enough when we're all exhausted like this."

"I'm fine!" I protested. I got up, swayed and collapsed on the ground, "Okay, maybe not."

"Exactly, we all could use a good rest," Derek said.

Will stretched out his arms, "Yeeep, I know _I _wouldn't mind a good nap."

I giggled a bit, "Well, that's because your Will,"

He looked confused for a moment and then snickered,"Is that a good thing or bad?"

I smiled, "That's for me to know and you to find out."

"Huh?"

"Ah whatever, let's get some rest."

We got into the van, both Derek and Will in front seats, me in the spacious back seat. I protested against this, saying that they were both much bigger than me and needed the room, but well, as I said before, Derek is a hard person to convince. So that's were that left me. Laying down semi-comfortable in the back seat, while Derek and Will scrunched up the front. They also turned on the heater, and again, I objected, especially 'cause we were running low on gas. And money. Not to mention the rising gas prices. But, just as well, Derek got his way. As most of the time.

***

So we slept through the rest of the early morning, the rising sun waking me up. I straightened and stretched my sore arms, the sounds of the forest drowned out by Derek and Will's snores. They didn't look like they'd get up soon, both deep in sleep, so I decided to be a little adventurous and take a short walk. My muscles could really use some stretching out.

I walked outside. The weather wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. My shoes made that delightful crunching noise as I walked through the snow. The smells and sounds of the forest relaxing me. I smiled enjoying the peace of the the wilderness. I stretched my arms high in the sky, flexing my fingers. I sighed in bliss.

Well, just until I saw Liz.

* * *

**_Review plz! Would love to hear your comment's!_**


	16. Chapter 16

**_Sorry this chappy was short. It's just because the next one has a lot in it, and it was impossible to add more to this one. Sorry again, and hope you guys enjoy my cliffhanger here. *muahahaha* _**

**_Love you all~_**

**_Sarah H._**

**_Oh, and I don't own DP. *sighs*_**

**

* * *

**

"Liz?" I whispered. "Liz, is that you?"

I walked over to the ghost. She had to be Liz. She was wearing her Minnie Mouse nightshirt and giraffe socks. Her long hair was messy, but the usual blonde. The ghost had all her features, the same from the night Ed Group had killed her. The memory made my fists clench.

But the weird thing was-?

I hadn't summoned her.

Okay, I could summon ghost by accident, and I could stumble across them from time to time, but I had been totally relaxed when I was out here. And I don't think Liz would be just wondering around. Well, maybe, but still. Something felt wrong.

_Uncontrollable powers_, flashed through my mind.

"Chloe?" she whispered hoarsely. What was wrong with her voice? And now that I looked closer, it wasn't just her voice, her whole body seemed to be fading and just when I thought she'd disappear, it'd be back. "Chloe, is that you?"

Should I answer? Something seemed wrong. Maybe I should get Derek and Will-

Wait. What was I thinking? After all, Liz was my friend. I could trust her.

"Yeah, but Liz, what h-happened to y-you?" I cursed at my stuttering. I really had to learn how to control that.

Her eye's widened a bit, but then she composed herself and gave me her familiar sweet smile, "Nothing, just wanted to pay you a visit."

I flexed my fingers for a bit. Something defiantly wasn't right.

"Hold on, Liz. Let me just try and, uh, get the rest of you," I took one look at her before I closed my eyes. She looked tense. Why was I getting 'don't-trust-her' vibes from _Liz_? Hello! She is my friend! There shouldn't be any of that!

I shook my head, deciding that I was delusional, possibly from all the new stuff that's been happening faster than I can keep up with. _Okay_, I said to myself, _time to summon._

I tried to focus on Liz, giving a mental pull and the usual summoning routine. I kept the the 'power setting' on low, remembering the forest around me, and the dead bodies that could very possibly be here. But no matter how hard I tried, she wouldn't become any clearer. She would just hover above the white earth, giving me weird looks that I don't think I've ever seen on her face. Something along the lines of evil and triumph. But if you looked closely, you could see the faint hint of fear in her eyes when I tried to summon the, um, rest of her.

"Liz?"

"Yes?" she snapped back. Sheesh, did all ghosts have to have an attitude?

_But Liz never did_,

"What's up with you?"

Her eyes widened, "Uh, nothing Saun- uh, Chloe. What makes you say that?"

I studied her a bit, trying to find a reason for her strange, un-Liz like behavior. Her eyes formed into slits, and let out an ear-splitting cry.

I think my heart just skipped a beat.

"Liz?" What was going on?

She started to disappear, and I hopelessly tried to grab her. But of course, that would never work.

So I moved to summoning again. And again, no matter how hard I focused on her, she wouldn't come back. So I eventually settled for waiting for something to happen. There wasn't much I could do anyway. But then, as I stood there, a horrible thought crossed my mind.

What if something was wrong with my powers. What if the werewolf genes made my necromancer powers weaker? Or possibly completely left me? Was it possible? Could it happen? I shivered.

But didn't I hate my powers?

Before I could answer that question, Liz materialized back into the same place she was standing not more than a few minutes ago. She huffed and tried to compose herself from her sudden leave.

What just happened?

"Chloe, t-the-ere's someth-thing over there. P-please h-help-" she pointed to the right, her faded hand shaking.

"What is it L-Liz? What happened?!" I cringed in terror. Danger? Now? Just when I was so relaxed and peaceful not too long ago?

I cursed under my breath. Couldn't a supernatural get a break or something?

"Ther-re!" She gasped and ran in the direction she pointed toward. I guess there was no time to get Will or Derek. I had to get to whatever was causing this. Fast.

I ran behind Liz, who was nothing more than a blur, but nevertheless visible enough.

The run was about a half a mile, complete with scratches and minor gashes. I didn't pay much attention to them, knowing that I'd heal quick. My lungs would have been shrunken and shriveled by now, begging for air, my muscles burning. But now, ever since my were-genes kicked in, I was totally fit. Don't get me wrong; I wasn't buff or anything like that, but _I_ was strong. And it felt good.

Blurred Liz came to halt, and so did I. But once I stopped, I couldn't move anymore. Every part of my body was frozen, and it wasn't just because I was scared.

Yup, Diane Enright had me wrapped up in her binding spell, and was laughing moronically.


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry it took so long to post. And for its shortness. Hope you enjoy it anyway! Review please! Love you guys 3**

**~Sarah H.**

I couldn't really do anything now; I wasn't powerful enough to break her binding spell. Liz had disappeared, though I couldn't really be sure it was her. After all, this was all a trap. Or so it looked like.

My mind was blank and I couldn't really think. All I really was sure of was that we were in trouble, and by we, I meant me, Derek, and Will. I didn't know if they'd found them too. I really hoped they didn't. Things were already bad.

I hoped that I had run far enough away that they wouldn't be too noticeable. Their snores shouldn't be _that_ loud. Although I heard the extremely faint whistle what could have been either one of theirs. I smiled, but my lips couldn't move to form a curve.

"You've out smarted me for the last time, Saunders. Really, did you think that we wouldn't find you? After all, you did leave us an excellent clue, which of course, I thank you for." Diane smiled wickedly again, making my insides squirm. Tori was right; she was an evil bitch. But what clue? What could I have possibly done to have them find me so easily?

"What's a matter? Can't figure it out?", she cocked her head to the side, mockingly. "Back at that cave? You remember do you? That seemed like a pretty close call." The sarcasm was heavy in her voice.

My eyes widened, and I knew what she was talking about.

I hadn't release the zombies. How could I have been so stupid? Stupid, stupid, stupid! I felt like swearing at her, jumping out and breaking every bone in her body. Anger rushed through me; anger at me and at her.

"So you just realized, huh? Better think twice about your actions, Saunders. You made a big mistake"

She walked slowly toward me, dry leaves cracking under the blanket of snow suspense-fully under her feet. My heart raced. I couldn't do anything now. Nothing at all.

And my friends would pay the price as well.

It wasn't fair. They shouldn't suffer because of what I did. _Our one shot._ This was one shot of freedom, and I blew it. For all of us. For Rae and Simon and the vamps and Tori and Derek and many, many more innocent subjects of Ed Group's.

"It's over, Chloe." Diane whispered menacingly into my ear. I tensed, fighting back the tears that my eyes held from within.

Fine. If I went down, I'd do it honorably. Not matter how cliche or cheesy it sounded.

She released me from her binding spell, and I automatically felt my body relax. Diane started to walk away, and before I thought _"What the hell is she doing?" _I found myself walking behind her. I tried to fight whatever spell she put on me, as it felt weaker. But no matter how hard I forced myself to pull away, I couldn't.

She lead me to a van, much like the one I traveled in when I was captured. It all seemed like deja vu. I caught a glimpse of the inside of the van. No one was inside. I sighed in relief. She hadn't found Derek. Or Will.

Well, it looked like that. I could be wrong, but I refrained from thinking that she already has captured them. I just didn't have the heart anymore.

But before Diane could force me in the back seat, a familiar sensation surged through my body, and I cried out, powerful enough to break the spell. My scream echoed through the woods, and Diane backed away, eyes wide with confusion and fear.

I screamed again, and realized what was happening.

I was Changing.

So soon? My last Change had been only last night.

I screamed again, but by then, Diane had composed herself and took hold of me. She covered my mouth, and I bit it. She winced but didn't let go, "Shut. Up! Be quiet you little brat! Shut up!"

I tried to shake her away, but it was hard, considering the pain I was in at the moment.

I heard a distant yell in the forest, too low for anyone to hear. Well, too low for anyone who didn't have bionic hearing.

"Chloe?!"

Derek.

Oh crap.

"Chloe?"

Will.

Double crap.

I opened my mouth, letting out yet another piercing scream.

_Shut up, Derek and Will will hear you! _My inner voice shouted at me.

"Shut up!" Diane yelled, shaking me furiously.

"Chloe?!" Derek called out again, accompanied by Will. I wished they would be quiet.

I didn't want Diane to hear them.

Anger. Fear. Pain. Worry. All rushed through me like a tidal wave, washing everything else out. A flash of white blinded me, and, without thinking, I forced Diane away, sending her flying.

Somehow.

_How did I do that? _

I crippled in agony. Okay, I wasn't going to think about that now. Now, I needed to get away.

I fell out of the seat and hit my head on the van door. I felt warm blood run down my face. My head started to spin. Oh God, not now. Not now!

I got up on my elbows, taking deep breaths. I looked to my side, and I saw Diane laying on the ground, eyes closed, blood running down her face.

"Chloe?!" Derek and Will shouted out again in symmetry, "Chloe? Dammit, where are you?! Chloe!"

I squeezed my eyes shut, and tried to get up. But pain overcame me and I crumbled to the white ground.

_Get up, get up! Diane could wake any second!_

"Chloe? Chloe!"

I started to cough up blood. Crimson ran down my mouth and soaked into my shirt.

I could hear footsteps getting closer. I could smell the ominous scent of blood. I could feel the cold, wet snow underneath me. I could, I could....

I couldn't.

* * *

The world came back, blurry and dark. But something illuminated the blackness, something that filled my heart full of longing.

Emerald eyes shone above me.


	18. Chapter 18

The bright shade of green disappeared. Screams, cries, and groaning filled my ears. Darkness came again. I fell into it hopelessly.

* * *

The frosty wind stung my face, waking me up. I felt so many things at once. Well, to be honest, mostly pain. But what was going on? Where was I? Where were _they_, the green eyes? I squinted in the dark, starless night, searching for them, but to no avail. I straightened, and my head spun; the usual post-fainting sensation. My stomach twisted and turned, but I couldn't tell if I was hungry, or was nauseated; it all felt the same.

I rubbed my eyes, hoping to clear away some of the blurriness, and wiped down my face. It was wet and warm, too thick to be sweat. Blood maybe? I didn't care at the moment. I stood up and observed my surroundings. My eyes cleared up, and my bionic night vision started to play its role.

It was dark, as obvious, hardly a star in sight, and the moon nothing but an outline of a pitch black shadow. New moon. Must be the middle of the month.

We were somewhere near the forest. I could smell the fresh moss and undergrowth radiating nearby. But we were somewhere else, near a lake; somewhat of a shore. Kinda like the usual camp sites and whatnot, only eerier. The air was moist, dense with fog, making it colder. I shivered violently. I really wish I had a jacket. I hugged myself tightly, holding in whatever warmth I had left in me. My fingers prickled with numbness. My nose hurt like hell. My ears felt frozen. And one question floated through my mind.

Where were they?

Where was Derek? Will?

I fell to the ground as the horror struck me. Did they catch them? Did Edison Group get to them? I couldn't bear the thought.

But the green eyes. _Those_ green eyes. I could never mistake them. They were his. Derek's. But where was he? I wanted him with me, here.

A rustles of leaves interrupted my thoughts. I stood up and spun. I scanned the area. No one in sight. I shivered again, only it was more of the nerves, not the bitter, moist cold. I mumbled words of reassurance, hardly listening to them. My teeth chattered, echoing throughout the forest. Another rustle. I heard faint steps. Closer. Closer.

_Tap. Tap. Tap_.

So confused. Mind blurred. I was losing it. Again. The dark called to me, and I was slowly fading...

A dark figure stood above me and I became alert again. The shadow looked down on me pathetically shivering on the ground.

"C-Chl-loe?" a raspy voice called.

Will?

"Chl-loe y-you okay?"

Will!

I could've jumped up and sang in relief, but I was too weak. So I settled for the next thing to come to mind,

"Will! Will, what happened? Where am I? W-"

I stopped short when I caught a better glimpse of him.

"W-Will?"

I backed up, crawling away in my case. Blood. On his clothes. On his hair.

_On his mouth._

He reached out to me, "Chloe, I-I need-d your h-help..."

"Will please tell me you fed from an animal or something," I said all out in a rush before I lost it again.

No answer. I cringed.

"Will!"

"Chloe, Derek... I- I sorta.."

Oh no no no no....

I stood up and ran. Well, sorta. Everything hurt. But Derek kept me going. Derek, Derek, Derek.

I reached the dense woods, having the sharp branches and loose twigs greet me with their slashes and scrapes. The moist mud-grass mixture made a gross squishy noise as I ran, making me queasy. The smell of undergrowth was stronger, but something here it was sort of rusty smelling.

Like blood.

I ran faster, following the scent, until I found him.

Derek lay in a bloody mess, clothes ripped, hair covering his eyes.

I fell down beside him. How? Even if Will fed from him, he couldn't have hurt him that badly.

Unless they fought.

And Will won.

"Derek?" I whispered shakily. He didn't answer. I started to well up.

"He's not dead yet,"

I spun. Will.

"Go away!" I yelled.

"Chloe please..."

"No! Go to hell Will. I thought I could trust you."

"Chloe..." he said softly, "Please, we can help him."

I looked at him. His eyes were still red, but impossibly watery. I cooled down.

"Will..." I choked, "I don't want him to die,"

"He doesn't have to."

Silence.

"I'm so, so sorry." he whispered.

I didn't answer. I felt bad for not doing so, but I was too upset and scared and worried to bother.

Derek flinched a little and groaned.

"Derek?"

"C--C-,"

Will got to his feet, "We need to get him to the hospital,"

"We can't! They'll track us and what if they test his blood or-"

"We are taking him to the hospital." he said solidly.

I sighed in frustration and thought about it. I knew we had to do something. Quick. Derek wouldn't heal fast enough.

"Fine, but where are we going to find a hospital in the middle of the woods?"

"We're like a 10 minute walk from the city. A city is sure to have a hospital."

The city? Were we really that close? Before I passed out where were at least 15 miles away from civilization.

"Will?"

"No time,"

"Will, how long was I out?"

He looked at me with hard eyes, "Almost a whole day. We were afraid you weren't going to make it."

I starred, and didn't say anything.

Will picked up Derek with little struggle. I turned my eyes away. I couldn't look at him like that, bloody and broken. But Derek groaned again, I couldn't help but turn my face toward him. "Chloe," he mouthed, hardly making a sound.

I looked at Will. His face was sullen, miserable looking.

"Come on," he said, tilting his head forward.

I followed.

* * *

We reached the city in less than 10 minutes, probably because we weren't walking. We were running. Derek's breathing had faltered and we knew we were running out of time. His wounds were still gushing crimson, and I was going nuts.

We spent a whole, terrible 15 minutes looking for a hospital. And by the time we reached there, Derek had stopped breathing. I think I had too.

"Hel-p!" I yelled, choking on the last letter, "P-please! Help! My friend is dying!"

A man with a white coat came rushing out of the sliding doors.

"What the-" he started, until his eyes fell upon Derek.

"Oh, dammit!" he cursed. "Someone get a gurney!" the doctor yelled back at the building, "Now!"

The doctor ran up and and signaled for Will to lay him down. I saw worry in the doctor's eyes.

"What the hell happened to him?" he asked us, but the gurney came and we didn't have time to waste. Will put Derek gently on the gurney, and more doctors came to help.

They quickly rolled the gurney toward the trauma room, Will and I following after. They doctors exchanged information hurriedly, mostly incomprehensible, but I managed to catch some of what they were saying, "Multiple lacerations on the face, neck, and arms." a blonde woman observed. "Major wounds on the chest, and one on left leg. Some bones appear to be broken." the doctor who found us outside shared with the others. Another one the doctors checked his eyes, "Eyes unresponsive. Possible concussion."

The doors crashed open to the trauma room. Will and I were just on their tail when a nurse stopped us for examination. Apparently I still had blood from when I changed....

Crap, I just remembered what happened. Diane, attacking, the white light I let off sending her flying...

What was that?

"Come on, let's get you checked out," said the nurse with a heavy spanish accent. I took one last look through the window of the trauma room, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Derek seemed to be coming around.

But now we just had to deal with the rest of this mess.


	19. Author's Note

HELLOOOSS! Long time no see, eh? Well, I have no idea what to do with this story, and I'm not sure if I should continue. So, I'm gonna let you guys decide that. If I get at least 10 people who would like me to continue, then so be it! Well, THANK YOUZZZ!!! :D

Love~

Sarah :D


	20. Chapter 19

**Yay! Got more than 10 requests, so I'm definitely continuing! :D Enjoy and DON'T FORGET TO FREAKING REVIEW! Okay? Good. :D**

**Enjoy!**

**And I don't own Darkest Powers, but I do own Derek ;) MINE!**

**~ WITH LOVE!,**

**Sarah H. :D:D:D**

**So here we were, landed in the hospital for the second time on the run. Our first visit had went well, easy come, easy go. But I had this horrible feeling in my gut that we weren't getting off as easy this time.

It was when the nurse was leading us into an examination room that Will leaned in and whispered just loud enough for me to hear, and low enough for no else to,

"I can't go in there,"

I looked at him and nodded. He was right, of course, that they couldn't examine him. Rock skin, no blood, no heartbeat. "So, you have a plan?"

He nodded stiffly, and I relaxed a little. Will should know what he was doing, right?

The nurse opened a door and motioned us to sit on the bed. She went to the drawer, got out a few things, and walked back over.

"May I use the bathroom?" Will asked, voice pleading.

That was his plan? Pathetic. Well, not really, it was just that I honestly expected something more complicated. As long as this worked, though, we should be okay.

The nurse nodded, "It's right down the hall, second door on the right."

Will thanked her, and hurried on.

The nurse sat on the chair and started to examine my cuts and scrapes.

"I'm nurse Julia. What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Carmen Solman," I said quickly, thinking of the first name come to mind. I couldn't give the name I used at the motel. What if that Doug guy gave the police my name? And I definitely wasn't stupid enough to give her my real name.

"Well, Carmen, that's a pretty name you've got there."

I didn't say anything. Any unnecessary conversation was avoided.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, your friend is going to be okay. And he's recovering remarkably fast. You can see him when I'm done here."

She smiled at me, a concerned but warming look. A sick feeling of guilt rippled through me, but I smiled back, regardless.

We couldn't trust anyone, not even the good guys.

Once she finished cleaning my cuts, she took out my stitches, and I was glad she didn't ask about them. "Here, lets go see how your friend is doing."

She lead me down the hall, silent. I felt warmer in the sweater she gave me, but I was still freezing. We walked passed a window, and I saw that it was snowing again. White was everywhere. Snow was falling thick and fast. Not the best getaway weather. I tensed a little in worry. Worry about our situation. Worry about Derek.

And there he was, laying on the hospital bed, in a gruesome bloody mess. I felt a bit light headed, and a bit nauseated looking at him like that. Seeing him in pain. I wanted to walk over there and hold him tight, just to be there with him.

It seemed like forever, but we finally came to Derek's room. The nurse patted my back and smiled, " Stay as long as you like, sweetheart. I'm going to see where your other friend went off to."

I smiled hesitantly back, reminding myself that Will would know what to do. I sighed and hoped that everything was gonna be fine. It had to be fine. Or we'd be done.

I walked into the room slowly, not sure of what I'd see. I heard a soft groan, and Derek turned on his side, breathing heavily. I walked a little faster, and stopped short when Derek straightened and laid back on his elbows.

"Chloe," he said softly. I blushed a little, and turned my head away. A moment's silence. I could feel his eyes on me, waiting for me to say something.

"You okay?" I asked him.

I held my breath and allowed myself a peak at him. His left arm was bandaged and stitches and band-aids decorated his face and neck. But he seemed okay. I relaxed and smiled.

Derek kept staring at me, an when he noticed I was looking back, he wiped down his face and looked back at me. The softness in his expression was gone, replaced with the familiar urgency that was just part of who he was."We have to go. Now. Almost time."

I turned my face toward him. His eyes were glistening with fever, but he didn't seem to be in much pain. The Changes were getting easier each time.

A small voice in the back of my head said, _What if he didn't need me with him anymore...._

I shut out that voice, focusing on the _current_ situation.

"You look fine Derek. At least, I mean you look like...." I stopped and I bit my lip, looking for the right words, "You don't seem like your going to Change yet, 'kay? There's no suspicion around here and everything seems to be going fine." I tried not to think about Will, "I think it'll be okay if we hang out here for a while. You need the rest."

"No. Chloe I can _feel_ it coming. Please. We need to go."

I locked my blue eyes with his green ones. I saw fear. He was scared. I couldn't tell him no, especially if he was right. He obviously could't Change here. And I decided that there was no point arguing. I went over to his bed side and held out my hand. He hesitated, but only for a second, and gripped my hand softly. I yanked him up, something I would never be able to do before I was bitten, and draped his arm over my shoulders. He grunted.

"I'm fine." he said through his teeth.

"No, your not." I paused, adjusting myself so he could walk, "Is your leg...?"

"I said I was fine. It'll heal." He removed his arm from my shoulders and just in that instant, he lost his balance and fell to the ground.

With another grunt, he tried to get himself up, taking on the hospital bed for support. He gritted his teeth and attempted to force himself up. I bent down, face to face with him, and silently lend my hand. He took it, tentative, and I pulled him up again. He looked away, not meeting my eyes, rubbing his hand on his neck.

"You know, Derek." I started, my voice low, "It would be a good idea if you started worrying about yourself for a change."

And with that, he turned his face toward me,"What?"

I sighed and put his arm over my shoulders again.

"Nothing. Come on."

I started walking, Derek limping at my side. "How long do you think you have until you Change?" I asked him.

"Not long. Maybe a half an hour, but I can't be sure. We need to hide somewhere."

I nodded and the pressing tone in his voice got me walking faster. We headed toward the door and I peaked out through the small window on it.

It wasn't a busy hospital, but it still had people. And we couldn't be seen. So we waited until the hallways were clear, and made a run/limp for it. There were only a few passerby's, and no one really noticed us anyway, and we easily made it out.

It was dark, but then again, we could both had 'super night vision'. So we kept walking in that awkward silence.

We reached a dark alley, not too far from the hospital, and I sat Derek down there. He looked up at me, and opened his mouth as if to say something, then shut it.

"I need to go back for Will,"

Silence.

"Derek?"

"Huh?"

I bent down to his level, and cocked my head to the side,"You okay?"

He grunted softly, moving his leg to a more comfortable position, "Yeah, I'm good."

It was quiet again, and I guessed that was the end of our short conversation. I needed to get up, to get Will so we could get the heck outta here and get to Rochester, but I didn't. I stayed there, face to face with Derek. He stared at me, his eyes shining in the fading moonlight, and, unexpectedly, he leaned over. My heart sped up, but he stopped, his lips so close, but not close enough.

He sighed, his warm breath against my mouth, and took my hand.

"Careful 'kay?" he whispered, "Will isn't the most trustful guy out there."

I stiffened a little, "I trust him. Shouldn't that be enough?"

He mumbled something, and looked away again, but he still held my hand.

"Okay, well..." I slid my hand from his, "I'll be right back. You'll be okay?"

He started to fiddle with his shoe lace,"Yeah, fine."

I straightened and headed out of the alley.

_I wish you had kissed me..._


End file.
